Stand Down
by heatstorm
Summary: What do they do now? Everyone is in danger until  they figure out who's behind all this, but finding him won't be so easy with some changes at the 12th. Season 4. Season 3 SPOILERS. Castle/Becket  eventually . Rewritten as prose.
1. Awake

This is a republished version of a story I posted last night. Most of the dialog hasn't changed, but I've turned it into prose (sorry about the script). I'm also going to break the chapters down so they're a bit more manageable. Enjoy and please comment. (I really appreciate constructive criticism because I'm actually working on an original novel).

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

As she awoke in the hospital, there were two things of which Kate Beckett was glaringly aware: the calm rhythmic beeping of the vitals monitor beside her bed and the constant aching pain in her chest. As her mind cleared and she started to remember the events that got her there, she slowly started to open her eyes. Next to her bed, in a comfortable looking chair, sat her father, Jim. . He looked sleepless and worn. He was busy looking at his hand so she took the opportunity to shut her eyes again and used the moment to think.

Lockwood. Montgomery. Funeral. Shooter. Castle. No, can't think about him right now. Shooter. Who hired him? Did they catch him? Was anyone else hurt? The whole team knows, they're all in danger. We have to find whoever's in charge before he finds us.

"Kate?" Jim interrupts her. She lays still, pretending to be asleep. "Katie, I could see you thinking."

Darn. I've been made.

"Dad?" She says, blinking as her eyes adjust to the light.

"Hi baby girl," he sounds relieved as he moves his chair closer to the bed and takes her hand.

"Dad, is everyone else okay?"

"They're all fine," he tells her, happy that his daughter's instincts seemed unchanged. Kate always was looking out for everyone else. "They're shaken and worried, but fine."

"Where are we?" She asks, struggling to sit up in bed. He reaches to help her.

"County memorial."

"What day is it?

"Tuesday morning."

"I've been asleep four days?" As she started to panic, the monitor next to her beeped faster and faster.

"Calm down Katie. Everything's fine. You had to have two surgeries," he tried to be reassuring, but he knew his daughter well enough to know it'd be futile.

"I'm fine. When can I go home?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." It was Josh. Kate's always-there-but-never-really boyfriend entered the private hospital room with a dashing smile. He was dressed in pale blue scrubs and wearing a white coat.

"Josh?" She was surprised and confused. "You don't work at County Memorial."

"I'll give you two some time," Jim said, suddenly feeling very out of place. He leaned in to kiss his daughter on the forehead before heading towards the door. He offered Josh a friendly smile as he passed.

"Dad. I love you," she calls to him, just as he's leaving.

"I love you too, Katie." He leaves and Kate turns her attention to Josh, who has taken a seat next to her on the bed. They kiss briefly.

"Hi," she says, overcoming the confusion and allowing herself a smile.

"Vitals look good," he responds as he flips through her medical chart.

"What are you doing here?"

"Rick called me," he explained, as if that was normal and to be expected.

"Castle?" She was supposed to believe that the man who told her he loved her had called her boyfriend that he didn't approve of to be at her side when she woke up?

"He said he couldn't give me details but that I was the only one he trusted to do your surgeries." He looks to the door where outside there are two large officers standing.

"Oh," she starts to understand.

"Normally operating on your loved ones is strictly prohibited, but apparently he's an acquaintance with chief here." There is an awkward silence when Kate says nothing, caught up on the idea of Castle pulling strings in order for her to be safe. She wasn't surprised. "I'm glad you're okay," Josh added.

"I'm glad you're here," she responds, honestly. They smile at each other and kiss again. "So when are you going to take me home?" she teases him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hopefully by Friday, but that all depends on how much you cooperate."

"Cooperate?" she suddenly sounded concerned. Anyone who knew Kate Beckett knew she wasn't too keen on cooperating. She did things her way.

"I was able to get all the bullet fragments, but there's still a severe risk of infection. I'll be able to treat your wound, but you need to stay in bed, not stress about anything, and do your physical therapy as scheduled."

"I will." That sounded easy enough.

"When you go home, you have to stay at home."

"Okay."

"No police work."

"Fine," she lied. Kate knew plenty of cops who had been shot before. It was months before they were allowed back on the streets, but she knew she didn't have that kind of time to sit around and wait if they were going to catch her mom's killer. There was no way she was going to stay in bed while her team was in danger.

"I really wish I could stay, but I need to go back uptown to check on a few of my other patients. I'll try to stop by later tonight, okay?"

"Okay," she said, effectively hiding her disappointment.

"I'll send your Dad back in," he smiles and kisses her quickly before leaving. She lays back in bed, using the moment of silence to think about her life and her relationships. How was she ever going to admit to Castle that he was right? When everything else in her life was hard, hiding was easy.

"Josh is leaving already?" Jim asked, as he reentered the room.

"He has patients uptown."

"Oh. Bit elusive, that one." She could hear the disapproval in his voice.

"Dad, not now," she begged him. Jim didn't know much about Kate's boyfriend, but he knew she didn't talk about him often and he was rarely around. He also knew that Kate's face didn't light up the same way it did when she talked about Castle and her friends at the precinct. Jim could recognize true love.

"Sorry, sweetie," he apologized and changed the topic quickly, "So what's the verdict?"

"He says I can go home Friday as long as someone's taking care of my wound and watching for infection, but the case can't wait until then. All the leads we have will be long dried up. Hand me my phone."

"Katie," he pleaded with her to reconsider.

"Dad," she is serious and stern with him, like she would've been with a suspect in interrogation. "This is mom's murderer we're talking about. I didn't come this far to let it go."

"Well, it's not your call anymore." Stubbornness was genetic. Although Jim hadn't been able to make her stand down before, things had changed. Watching his daughter almost lose her life in front of him had given him new courage. He refused to lose both his girls.

"What do you mean, of course it's my call."

"You're off the case, Katie."

"Dad, I appreciate your concern, but I'm a grown woman and I can make decisions for myself." As she grew impatient, the monitor beeped faster again.

"It's not your decision or mine."

"Well then who?"

"Captain Richards."

"Who the hell is that?"

"Your new boss." He spoke apprehensively, knowing this news would not be taken well.

"My new boss," she is furious. "They've replaced Montgomery already! Is there no respect anymore?" She threw her body back into the bed, a tear forming in her eye as she let frustration take over her.

"Katie, you need to stay calm," he tried to sooth her, but knew he had to be honest. "Richards came by yesterday to see if you were awake and explained the whole situation. Nice guy," he lied. "It's just a procedural thing since you were there when Montgomery was killed. They have to run an investigation. Detective Ryan says that word on the street is that people high up are anxious about so many cops being taken down in the last six months. The guys who were working mom's case, then your captain, and then you."

"I know Dad, I was there, remember?"

"I'm just telling you, even if the doc says you can go back to work, they're forcing you to take some time off. It's for the best anyway."

"We'll see about that," she said, determined to find a way to stay in control.


	2. A New Friend

Author's note: Thank your for the comments. I'll keep publishing the rewritten scenes as soon as I fix them.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author ****is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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><p>The next afternoon Alexis Castle was impatiently waiting inside a crowded coffee shop. Wearing her school uniform, she looked out of place in the mix of briefcase carrying men and women in their business suits. When two thermal cups appeared on the counter near where she was waiting, she grabbed them and hurried out onto the busy New York City sidewalk. Half a block later she turned a corner to find herself in front of the classical façade of County Memorial Hospital. She wove her way through the sliding glass doors and past the waiting room, up one flight of stairs and down two hallways. When she arrived outside Kate Beckett's hospital room, the two large security guards smiled at her amicably and held the door open without question. Inside, Kate was awake in bed, scrolling through the sympathy messages that had flooded her phone.<p>

"Oh my gosh, you're awake, I'm so sorry, I got here as soon as I could," Alexis spouted as she entered the room.

"Alexis, it's okay," Kate said, trying to calm the younger girl. "What are you doing here?" Before the words had even left her mouth she realized the possibilities and became concerned. "Is Rick okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Alexis said, as if it was a silly question "He's at home. Fidgeting a lot. Pacing. Staring at walls. Overeating. You know," she trailed off, worried she had said too much. "Anyway! Sorry I'm late." She handed Kate one of the coffee cups before dropping her school bag on the ground an taking her place in the chair next to the bed.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but, what are you doing here?" Beckett asked, still a bit confused. Of all the visitors she expected, Alexis was not near the top of the list, but she was happy to see her none-the-less.

"Well I think your dad needed to run an errand or something," Alexis explained. "So he called my dad so that someone would be here when you woke up. But my dad wasn't sure if you'd want to see him," she mumbled. "So! He called me and I was on my way home from school so I just came straight here. Well not straight. My dad you were still asleep so I didn't need to hurry so he told me your coffee order. I hope that's okay. I should've been here when you woke up."

"Alexis, its fine. Thanks for coming," Kate said, happy to have the company. She had to admit, she wasn't really ready to handle a serious talk with Castle just yet.

"You're welcome, how are you feeling?"

"Better. They've got me on the really good meds," Kate joked, but then after thinking for a moment, turned serious. "Listen Alexis. I hate to put you in an awkward position. I don't know how much you know about what's going on."

"It's okay," the mature teen said. She was used to serious talks. "Dad says there's some things that for my safety he doesn't want to tell me, but I know quite a bit now. Things have gotten pretty dramatic the past few days."

"Do you know if they've made any progress on the shooter?"

"Um," Alexis stalled, "they didn't catch him." She felt sad for the detective.

"Oh," Beckett tried to put on a brave face. "Do you mind telling me what happened? Everything goes black about 10 seconds after I was shot. I was in shock and then I guess I passed out."

"Sure, I guess," Alexis said, preparing her story. "Everyone was screaming, but Ryan and Esposito made us stay down because there might be more shots. But then we saw the shooter running and while Dad and Lanie were helping you, Ryan and Esposito went after him, but there was a getaway car. All they got was a license plate. I'm really sorry."

"No, that's okay, that's good. We can work with a plate. Do you mind if I make a quick call? I want to make sure Ryan is running a trace."

"They're trying to work the case but things have been a bit difficult," Alexis said, interrupting Beckett as she started to dial. The concerned look on her face revealed there was more she wasn't saying.

"Alexis…" Kate urged her to share.

"The new captain transferred Ryan and Esposito to a new unit."

Kate put her head in her hands, defeated. Alexis let her have a moment, but watched in concern. She had never seen the stern-faced detective break down.

"You need to tell me everything you know, right now," Beckett said, after rubbing her eyes and lifting her head.

"After the shooter was gone we called for an ambulance" Alexis got right to the point. "Ryan and Esposito rode with you since they had guns if they needed them. Nobody is trusting anyone while we know someone out there wants you dead. We all came to the hospital where you were rushed to surgery. I guess Dad called Josh when he was on the way to the hospital, because he got here not long after we did. The doctors wanted to take you right away but Dad made them wait for Josh. After the first surgery he told us it was a through-and-through that barely missed your heart and that you would live, but you'd be in the hospital for a few days and it would be a long recovery. Everyone stayed the night in case you woke up but you didn't. On Saturday morning Esposito and Lanie went into the precinct to run the plates and grab the case files, but they were stopped by the new captain who was already setting up in his office. This new guy is mean. Some former marine who doesn't seem to be very understanding. He knows how loyal everyone is to you and he wants to make it known that he's in charge. He told Ryan, Esposito and Lanie they could have the weekend off, but to be at work on time Monday morning. He transferred the boys to another homicide unit at the 12th so that he can keep them busy with other cases. Dad was banned from the precinct. Apparently the FBI showed up Monday afternoon to investigate your case. They're looking into what happened at the hangar to make sure that you and dad are telling the truth and that Captain Montgomery was acting in self-defense. They're also going back through the past 2 years to figure out why everyone associated with the case is dead. Starting with Coonan. The new captain came to the hospital yesterday because he wanted to question you, but thank god you weren't awake yet. My grandmother and your dad were here and there was no way they were letting him near you. Anyway, we honestly don't even know if he has anyone tracking your shooter, but Ryan and Esposito have been trying to find out as much as they can under the radar. They've been quickly snapping pictures of files and e-mailing them to Dad who's been creating our own version of the files back at home. He's been reading through everything and then been telling Ryan and Esposito what to look for. The captain stays at the precinct until everyone has left so they don't have many opportunities to do stuff they aren't supposed to be doing. Everyone met at our place after work yesterday to go over what we have so far, but it wasn't much. They did get a match on the plate but then couldn't put out a bolo so they had to wait for their friends on traffic to spread the word by mouth. We're hoping they'll find it today."

"Wow," Beckett said, overwhelmed by the information, "you know a lot more than I would've expected."

"Our loft has turned into an ops center. Dad really wants one of those hi-tech boards the FBI uses."

Kate couldn't help but to smile. She remembered the way Castle was fascinated with Special Agent Jordan Shaw and all her fancy toys. "So, they're investigating back to Coonan, but not my mother and her colleagues."

"For some reason," Alexis explained, "The captain seems more concerned with how the case was being conducted than the actual case itself."

"So, my team has no access to anything we've been working on for the past two years?" Kate asked, unable to hide her frustration.

"Your dad brought over some stuff from your apartment, but that's it. I'm really sorry Beckett."

"It's okay," she lied. "I'm not supposed to be working anyway, so all the better that there's nothing to work on." Alexis tried to offer a reassuring smile that Kate returned. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Alexis said.

"Um," Kate started nervously, "did your dad tell you what he said to me right before I passed out?"

As much as she tried not to, Alexis couldn't help but to smile. "Yeah," she said awkwardly, "but don't worry, I don't think anyone else knows. It was such a frenzy. He didn't tell Gram and I until he came home from the hospital on Sunday."

"He stayed till Sunday?

"He wanted to wait until after your second surgery. Plus Esposito and Ryan were your protective unit until they could get friends they trusted from another precinct to take over full-time. Dad and them were going over case details while they waited. They were trying to identify possible shooters, but they think it's an entirely new person."

"So what do you think about what your dad said?" Kate asked, hoping for a taste of the teen's unusually mature wisdom.

"Oh!" Alexis said, caught off guard. "Um, I hadn't really expected you to ask this. I don't want to say too much."

"I'm not asking you to tell me what he's thinking. I need someone to tell me what to do," Kate explained honestly.

"Oh, okay," Alexis stalled while she gathered her thoughts. "Well, I think he would have preferred to tell you in a different way, but he was scared, and he was worried that he wouldn't have another chance. I think you should plan to talk to him about it eventually, but I also think you should take whatever time you need to figure out what you want first. No matter what, I think you guys have to stay friends because I don't think either of you could survive without the other now that you've been through so much together. I would just hate to see you make the wrong decision because it's something you feel obligated to do. My best guess is that he's willing to wait to for you… that is, if you want him too."

"Thank you for being honest with me."

"Even if you're mad at him, can we still be friends?"

"Of course, sweetie," Kate reassured her. "And I'm not mad at him, just really overwhelmed. I don't want to hurt him any more than I already have, but I also know that right now I'm incapable of giving him what he wants."

"So we just hope that he understands that?" Alexis asked.

"I guess. You're not going to tell him we talked about this are you?"

"My lips are sealed," the younger girl smiled, pledging her loyalty.

"Thanks. Alexis."


	3. Interrogation

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Two days later while the love of his life sat wounded in a hospital bed on the other side of town, Richard Castle sat in the cold interrogation room at the 12th precinct of the NYPD. He had been there for thirty minutes since the patrol cops had arrested him on a charge of obstruction of justice. Knowing he most likely had an audience behind the two-way mirror, he practiced shadow puppets to pass the time. He was surprised when the door opened and detectives Ryan and Esposito came in. They didn't look happy.

"Are you guys interrogating me?" Castle asked, unsure if he should be happy or afraid to see them.

"Nah man," Esposito said. "Richards wants to talk to us."

"That guy can't figure out what he wants," Castle observed. "First he tells me to never step foot in here again. Then he has his minions bring me in for a chat."

"Somehow I feel like this is going to be more of a lecture than a chat," Ryan said.

"Oh, are you two in trouble?" Castle tried to lighten the mood. "What did you do?"

They both stared at him, not indulging his humor. The door to the room opened behind them and a tall man with short great hair walked in. Castle, although intimidated, quickly left his chair to stand next to the detectives. The man looked about 60, but he was clearly very athletic and in shape. His face was unemotional as he sized up the other three men. He dropped the folder he was carrying onto the table and took a seat on the edge of the table, facing the others. All were equally stern-faced.

"I have to say," Captain Richards spoke to Kevin and Ryan, "I'm pretty disappointed in you two. I read your files. Talked to some people. Everyone says you're good cops. And then I find out that you're sending copies of confidential files from a high profile case to a civilian."

"I prefer the term consultant," Castle said sarcastically, "if you wouldn't mind."

Richards ignored Castle and instead opened the file and started to read: "From Kevin Ryan to Richard Castle, Wednesday at 2PM.Sorry man, this is all we've got today. These FBI punks are keeping close watch on everything. I heard Richards went to see Beckett this morning. He seems a little mopey. I bet she put him in his place. " He looked to the other men, searching for a reaction but they were unresponsive._ "_Does obstruction of justice mean anything to you?"

"We weren't obstructing," Esposito retorted, "just sharing."

"It's our case anyway," Ryan said harshly. "We've all read over those files a hundred times."

"It's not your case anymore, Detective Ryan," the Captain said, demonstrating his unwillingness to listen, despite their reasonable argument. "And it is certainly not Mr. Castle's. I could fire you both now for leaking confidential information, but I'm trying to be nice."

"Yeah, so nice of you to tap our e-mails," Esposito said, unable to contain his anger. "Did you hear that long chat I had with your mom last night too?"

"Yo Javier," Ryan tried to calm his partner, "Like it or not this guy is our boss. Chill out man."

"He's got no right to be tapping our phones," Esposito fumed.

"Clearly I do," said Richards, maintaining his composure, but strengthening his tone. "I don't know what you four are up to, but it ends now. Captain Montgomery might have let you get away things, but that's over, because I will make every last one of your lives miserable until this place is back to the reputable precinct it was when my father ran it."

"I'm going to take a gander and say he didn't hug you very much," Castle joked. It was the first thing he had said since the captain had entered and he still didn't break his gaze.

"We're done here," Richards informed them. "You two, back to work. But consider this your only warning. Castle, I would love nothing more than to lock your pretty ass in jail, so you so much as j-walk in this city and I'll be knocking on your door."

Richards made his way to leave without another word.

"People usually go for the hair," Castle called after him, "but if you think my ass is pretty, that's fine too."

The captain left without turning while Ryan and Esposito tried to contain their giggles.

"What a scumbag," Ryan said, after the door had shut. "He doesn't give a crap about Beckett."

"We gotta do something," Esposito said. "Something's not right with this guy."

"They're probably behind the window, aren't they?" Castle asked, taking out his iPhone. He opened the notes application and typed:

_Burn phones. My place at 8._


	4. Goodbye

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Later that day, unaware that her best friends had put a plan into motion to undermine her new boss, Kate Beckett sat in her hospital bed reading the Derek Storm comic book for the second time. She wasn't expecting any visitors for a while, so she was surprised when Alexis Castle came into the room.

"Good news and bad news," Alexis said as she dropped her school bag and made her way to hug Beckett gently.

"Good news," Beckett chose, in much better spirits than the prior day.

"We found the getaway car," Alexis announced, excitedly.

"Really? Where?" Beckett asked.

"Esposito's contact at Jersey PD found it abandoned at a train stop.

"Prints?" Beckett asked. It was the natural follow-up question.

"They're still processing it," Alexis explained. "I think they literally just found it. I got a call from them just after 6th period, so I came right over.

"Alexis! Are you skipping school?"

"No, don't be silly," the girl brushed her off. "APs are over so I don't have afternoon classes. I usually just go to study hall or something."

"I hate to be taking you away from everything," Beckett protested. "This is not your responsibility."

"Kate, its fine," Alexis reassured her. "I want to help."

"So what's the bad news?" Beckett asked, accepting Alexis's stubbornness, which she knew was a genetic trait.

"Captain Richards has tapped my dad, Ryan, Esposito, and your phones," she explained. "He understandably suspects us of sneaking around, but its making it very hard to get any info out of the precinct. They're trying to arrange burn phones, but Ryan and Esposito are tied up with a case. I get the impression this new guy even watches them eat lunch."

"So does he know we tracked the getaway car?"

"He probably knows we were looking for it, but not that we found it. He shouldn't, at least. You wouldn't believe how hard it was just for my dad to tell me what had happened. He had to have my grandmother text me. Meanwhile, Esposito had Lanie call their friend at JerseyPD to tell him to call me directly once they had any info. Richards has no idea that I'm the point person for everything._" _Alexis smiled with pride at her last statement.

"That's because you shouldn't be," Beckett admitted. "This has gone too far Alexis. It's too dangerous for you to know so much."

"I really don't know that much," she promised. "I'm just relaying info. I don't know much of the background story so I can't put the pieces together. The boys always kick me and Lanie out when they need to talk about something from the case. I don't even know what happened the night Captain Montgomery was killed; just that dad got a call and left in a hurry. He came home, told me he loved me like fifteen times, and then fell asleep holding me. It really freaked me out."

"Okay," Beckett accepted. "Until we figure out another situation you can relay information. But you have to promise me not to ask any questions." Beckett realized they needed all the help they could get right now.

"I promise," Alexis agreed immediately.

"Thanks again for the news."

"You're welcome," Alexis said. "Sorry it isn't more. Is it okay if I stay for a little while, just in case we get another call?"

"Of course," Beckett welcomed her cheerfully. "Tell me about school. And how's Ashley?"

An hour later Alexis and Kate were happily gossiping in the hospital room when Alexis's phone interrupted them. She picked it up and read the text message that had just arrived

"Wiped clean. No prints. Sorry," she read, disappointed.

"Well, there goes our only lead," sighed Beckett. "Oh well, something else will come up. It always does," she feigned a smile for the younger girl's sake but it was pointless.

"What about the old lady who's car it was?" Alexis asked, determined not to give up. "I think Ryan said it wasn't reported stolen until Monday morning because she was out of town. Maybe we should run background on her close neighbors and relatives. Someone must have known she wouldn't be missing it."

"Wow Alexis, I'm impressed," Kate said. "You learn quickly! Also, we should use our phones to keep Richards happy. We should still have regular conversations on them, or else he'll get suspicious. We can still talk about my mom's case or make plans to see each other, just no new information. Maybe a complaint or two thrown in about Richards just for the fun of it."

"Good idea," Alexis agreed. "I'll make sure everyone starts doing that. Apparently he arrested my Dad this morning claiming obstruction of justice. And then he interrogated my dad, Ryan, and Esposito to try to scare them, but I don't think it went well. I bet you they gave him crap and can't wait to tell you about it."

Beckett smiled at the thought of the three men standing up for her like overprotective big brothers. "Why hasn't your dad visited?" she asked matter-of-factly after a moment of thought.

Alexis was caught off guard by the question. "Ummm, I guess because you haven't asked him too," she answered, having asked her father the same question the previous evening.

"He's never waited for me to ask in the past," Beckett said, honestly. "He always just shows up. Usually when I don't want him to," she added.

"Are you saying you don't want him?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Beckett reassured her.

"Are you saying you do want him?" Alexis asked curiously.

"That's not what I meant either," Kate quickly defended. "After everything that happened, I just thought he'd be here, that's all."

"He's trying to respect your space," Alexis explained. "But believe me, it's killing him."

"Knowing your Dad, I can imagine," she couldn't help but to smile.

"Kate, listen," Alexis started. "If you want to see him, he'd be here in an instant, you know that. If you're not ready to talk and you just want him around for comfort, he'll understand. And if you don't want to see him yet, but you're worried that if you wait he may no longer want to see you, that's not true."

"Thanks Alexis."

"Just don't string him along, please?" Alexis asked. "Almost loosing you has hurt him enough."

"I won't," Beckett reassured her. "I couldn't."

As if waiting for the perfect awkward moment, Josh arrived to check on his girlfriend. Alexis smiled at the man, recognizing him instantly. Her father had talked about him and she had seen him the day of the shooting when he was giving the waiting room crowd updates, but they had never been introduced.

"I'm Alexis Castle," she offered a hand to him "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Doctor Davidson" he said to the girl, confused. "Castle…as in, your partner Castle?" he looked to Kate for clarification.

"Yeah," she confirmed, as if it was common sense.

"Oh," Josh said.

"You're Kate's boyfriend right?" Alexis prodded, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," he was still confused but he acted friendly none the less. "What brings you here?" he asked Alexis innocently.

Beckett and Alexis stared at each other for a moment, searching for a response. They knew they didn't have long or he'd catch on, so Beckett was thankful when Alexis started with a story and hoped she was more convincing that her father usually was.

"My mom left when I was a baby," Alexis explained. "I can't really relate to the other girls at school, and sometimes I just need a woman's advice. My boyfriend Ashley –

"Okay, that's fine!" Josh interrupted her, afraid of hearing more. "No need for details," he added

The two women shared a smile when Josh wasn't looking, entertained by the irony of their cover –up. There wasn't a single lie in Alexis's excuse except that in that particular moment it was Kate who needed advice about boys. The brief exchanged was followed by an awkward silence, which Alexis took as her cue.

"I better get home and working on my homework," she lied. "It was good to see you Kate. Thanks for the talk. And nice to meet you Josh," she added as she gathered her bag and left.

"Didn't realize you were friends with your partner's daughter" Josh asked Kate once Alexis was gone. "Is that normal?" He failed at hiding the judgment he was thinking.

"Nothing in my life is normal," she said, put off by his tone. "I just got shot by a sniper."

"Yeah, I know," Josh said, already short-tempered with her. "And you still haven't told me where you were, or why it happened."

"The same reason I didn't tell you where I was going on Friday," she explained. "It's confidential related to a high-profile case." It was the same excuse she always used when she wanted to hide.

"I know you're lying to me, Kate" he confronted her.

"You obviously have a lot on your mind," she was starting to get angry. "Can you just say what you want to say?"

"There were seven people in the waiting room Friday night," he told her. It was clear he had been planning this speech for some time. "Only two of them I know to be police officers. Castle, who you say is your partner but I know he's just your shadow, his daughter, some old lady in crazy clothes, some blond girl and that black woman. Can't be that confidential, Kate, not if half the town was there."

That was it. "First of all," she started on him. "That black woman is my best friend Lanie. She works at the precinct. She's a medical examiner. That blonde girl is Detective Ryan's fiancée. The old lady is Castle's mother. And Castle is my partner. He can't carry a gun but he consults on cases. If he was just a writer he would have been gone two years ago."

"So what," Josh said, unsatisfied by her explanation. "It was some sort of office party or something? If you didn't want to invite me you could've just told me."

"It was a funeral Josh," she said tartly. "Captain Montgomery was murdered."

"I don't understand," his voice suddenly switched from angry to hurt and confused.

"What don't you understand?" she asked, still upset.

"Why didn't you want me there? Everyone else had their family. Why don't I know your best friend's name? We've been dating for six months."

"I didn't want you there because I didn't want to have to explain why I was so upset," she said honestly. She failed to mention that she didn't want to make it awkward for Castle either.

"Were you sleeping with him?" Josh asked?

"What! Who?" Now it was Beckett's turn to be confused.

"Captain Montgomery," he said, as if that was obvious.

"No!" Kate said. Disgusted that Josh would make such an assumption. "He was my mentor. He's the only reason I've been so successful. He made me the detective I am today. I'd still be a traffic cop if it weren't for him." The hurt penetrated through her voice. "I've never cheated on you," she added.

"I don't know how you could have expected me to know all this," he said, still piecing together the new information. "You never tell me anything."

"I try to keep my work life and my personal life separate," she said. It was another one of her out-of-the-box responses.

"Yeah, well it seems like your work life is your personal life," he challenged. "And I'm just on the outside."

"I don't know what to tell you," Kate said. She knew he wasn't wrong and there was no point denying it now. When all else fails, change the topic by pointing out the other person's shortcomings. "It takes a long time for me to open up to people and you just haven't been around enough."

"You say that as if it would be different if I was around more," he had a response for everything. She wasn't going to be able to talk her way out of this one. "But it's not, is it? You're not going to change."

"No, you're right." Her voice had sobered and she was calm again. "It's why I liked you in the first place. You weren't around that much and you didn't ask questions."

"So you've known all along that this wasn't going anywhere?" He was hurt, but he understood.

"I guess," she said, surrendering.

"Well, I wish you would've clued me in to that a while ago."

"I'm sorry, Josh."

"It's fine. I mean, obviously I wish things were different, but they're not."

Kate allowed the corners of her mouth to curl into a soft smile. She hoped it was enough to show that her apology was genuine.

"Well, Kate," Josh said. "I'm really sorry you got shot. And I'm glad you're okay." He paused for a moment, watching her longingly. "I really hope you find what you're looking for." There was another awkward pause when they both knew it was over. "I'm going to transfer your case to the cardio guy here. He's really good so you'll be in good hands for the rest of your recovery. Make sure you keep doing the physical therapy even if you feel fine. You'll probably want to get an in home nurse or someone who can change your bandages and keep an eye on your wound as it heals."

"Thanks," she said, accepting his peace offering.

"Take care of yourself, Kate."

"You too, Josh."

Once he had left, Kate reached for her phone on her bedside table. Wiping away a tear, she dialed Jim Beckett's number.

"Dad? … I'm fine, Will you come stay with me tonight?... He just left… for good."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Maybe I should've titled this chapter "Good Riddance" :)<p> 


	5. No More Hiding

Author's Note: Sorry it's been a few days, it was final's week! This chapter wasn't in the original version, but a few people said they would've liked to have seen Caskett's first post-shooting encounter. I originally didn't write it because I honestly wasn't sure I could do it justice. I'm still a little iffy on it, but I hope you guys like it. If not, be gentle. I always try to write in character, but that's really hard for Kate, who we've only recently started to see more exposed. I'd love to hear what you think!

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

A week had passed since Detective Beckett had been discharged from the hospital. Her comfortable apartment was now much more crowded as her father had made himself a permanent resident despite her reassurances that she'd be fine. Jim wasn't taking any chances and knew he should keep a watchful eye on her. She was already restless from being bedridden, but knew that the road to recovery was still mostly in front of her. The days were excruciatingly quiet as all her friends from the precinct were being kept unusually busy. The nights when they did stop by were hectic and overwhelming, and she tired quickly.

Today was different though. She had asked the at-home nurse to help her bathe and change her clothes into something fresher, though no less comfortable. After the nurse left, Kate sat nervously in her bed, propped up on a huge pile of pillows, flicking through the TV channels faster than she could tell what was on. She had sent her father on an errand to the library, but Jim had already planned his reasons for being gone much longer than expected.

As if he had been waiting for the second hand on his watch to click to the 12, Castle knocked on her door at exactly 12:30PM. It was a courtesy knock, as he entered without waiting, knowing she would be unable to get the door.

"I'm in here," she called, hearing the door open.

He crossed the main room, his heart pounding, unsure of what to expect and trying to keep an open mind.

"Hi," he said, standing awkward in the doorway of her bedroom, unsure if he should enter. He couldn't help but to smile at seeing her awake for the first time since he had told her he loved her. "What, no power-suit?" he joked.

"I don't know Castle, sweats and faded Beatle's t-shirt can be pretty intimidating to some people." She was equally happy to see him. There were butterflies in her stomach as she scanned him over, finding him handsomer than ever. He was clean-shaven and wearing dark jeans and a jewel blue oxford shirt, tucked in and unbuttoned at the top. His hair looked perfect. Meanwhile she wore no makeup and looked like she'd just gotten back from the gym. This didn't matter as long as he couldn't tell she was blushing.

"It's good to see you Kate, you look good," he said, honestly. Her natural beauty had always appealed to him.

"Are you going to come in?" She asked, trying desperately to make it less awkward although they were both intensely aware of the elephant in the room.

"I brought milkshakes," he said, showing her his hands as he walked in to the room. He approached the left side of the bed where there was a large blue lazy-boy chair. As he handed her a drink and made to take a seat, she shifted her body enough to make space for him on the bed next to her. He studied her for a moment, trying to get inside her head without making too many assumptions. Praying that no harm could be done, he left his drink on the bedside table and joined her on the bed. Once he was situated she rolled towards him and laid her head on his chest, cuddling against his side. His only instinct was to put his arm around her and hold her tight. Neither said a word.

They stayed like this for what seemed like hours, silently enjoying the comfort of each other's arms, lost in their own thoughts. This wasn't the first time they had sought comfort in each other, but never had that comfort been so necessary, and never had that comfort been so physical. Neither wanted to let go.

"Do you want to have lunch" she asked after some time, surprising him. He thought she had fallen asleep. "There are leftovers in the fridge."

"Sure," he said, regretfully loosening his hold on her. Once out of bed, he helped her to her feet and watched her as she cautiously made her way to a seat at the kitchen table. He would have offered to help, but he was learning – offering to assist Kate Beckett was never a good idea. Instead he went to the fridge and collected a hodge-podge of tupperwares, placing them on the table before getting knives, forks, and glasses for water. They still said nothing, neither one willing to breach the topic. This didn't bother Castle, however. He was happy just being near her and trusted that she would talk when she was ready. After all, he had said his part, now it was her turn. He took the seat across from her and began to serve himself. Every now and then he would look up at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Thank you for coming," she said, after a few bites. She smiled and his heart melted.

"Of course," he smiled back.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you sooner."

"It's okay," he said quickly, "you have nothing to apologize for."

"You couldn't be more wrong," she challenged, just barely shaking her head. A guilty look fell across her face. He wasn't used to seeing her like that and it worried him. She was the strong, stubborn one.

"Don't be silly," he said, brushing her off.

"I'm sorry I pushed you away when you came to talk me down. My dad told me he asked you too."

"It's okay, really, I –"

"I'm sorry we didn't talk after we found the dirty bomb," she went on, determined to at least acknowledge all the times she had hidden from him, even if it was too late to go back. "I'm sorry we didn't talk after arresting Lockwood."

"Kate, please stop," Rick pleaded. He was unable to look at her, knowing her eyes would be locked on him while he refused to see the ashamed expression on her face. Instead he looked at the table and pushed his food around, only able to hope she would stop blaming herself.

"I'm sorry I blamed you for not calling over the summer when I didn't call either. I'm sorry I let you go away with Gina in the first place. I'm sorry I don't thank you enough for having my back. And most of all, I'm sorry I've rejected you for being the one thing I need the most."

"You don't have to do this." His heart filled with sadness over the guilt she must've felt. She had almost died. He hadn't been able to protect her. He should be the one apologizing. "I only said those things at your apartment because I was angry and afraid of what was happening."

"But you were right, Rick. Everything you said about me was spot on. It's been 10 years since my mother's death. Hiding behind that was so easy because no one ever challenged it until you came along. I'm tired. I'm frustrated. Some days I just want to stay in bed and cry. But nobody knows. I have all these friends and yet I'm still so alone. "

He didn't know what to say to her, so he said nothing. Instead he forced himself to make eye contact, hoping that would reassure her.

"I don't know how to not hide and still be able to do my job."

"Being honest with yourself and your friends has nothing to do with your ability to solve cases. You're a good detective, Kate. That will never change."

"How am I supposed to gain any respect if I have all my weaknesses laid out in front of me."

"What you've been through is terrible. No one is going to think you weak for being human."

"You're wrong, Castle. That idea of people is totally romanticized. People don't care what you've been through if it opens a lane for them to take advantage of you."

"Some people, sure. But those people will always find something, especially if they sense you're hiding. Isn't it better to be in control? If you've got nothing to hide, they have nothing to threaten you with."

"I don't know."

"You don't have to wear your heart on your sleeve. Find a few people that you trust and let them get to know the real you."

"You mean you?"

"Only if you want," he said honestly. "You know that I'm here for you, but if it needs to be someone else, then I can learn to accept that; as long as you are happy."

She couldn't help but to smile. Of all the people in her life, Kate knew she could trust Castle; as long as she wasn't asking him to stay in the car, or to not touch something, or… She stopped herself there. Her heart always softened when Castle showed his sensitive side. Could she really let him see that? After all this time, wouldn't it be strange to change things? She didn't want to lose the fun side of their relationship. She thrived on that. Then again, would things ever be the same again?

"Do you think there's ever going to be an end to my mom's case?"

"There has to be. It all started somewhere."

"But when?" she asked honestly. "When they actually succeed in killing me? Or they kill you? Or Ryan? Or Esposito?"

"I'd like to think it'll end when we finally bring the bastard down."

"They've always been two steps ahead of us."

"Yet, we're further than we've ever been before."

"You're awfully optimistic."

"If it's a difference between supporting you and being able to work with you, or standing up to you and being kicked out, I'd much rather support you. Either way you're in danger, so I might as well be there to do what I can."

"Well, I want you there too. But I don't want you to keep your thoughts to yourself because you're afraid I'll lash out. Again, I'm really sorry. I know you were just trying to look out for me. It won't happen again."

"Promise?"

"No," she smiled, "but I'll try to be more aware of it at least. Just try not to cross too many lines?"

"What are the lines?" he asked, concerned. Richard Castle was never very good at lines. If she was going to be blunt, he thought about taking some notes.

Her lips turned up into a partial smile, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she watched him and gathered her thoughts. She had already thought about what she wanted to say to him, long before she had even invited him over. She just wanted to be sure that she still believe she was right.

"I think," she started, but stalled, biting her lip. "If we're going to have any sort of real chance, we have to wait until my mom's case is solved."

"Okay," he said. He had expected something like this, but was disappointed none the less.

"There are a few things about me that I want to change, but that's not going to come instantly," she explained. "And as much as I wish it weren't true, as long as we're still working this case, I just don't have the emotional energy for anything else."

"I understand. But just to be clear, you're not saying no."

"I'm saying not yet," she hoped this would be acceptable to him.

"So, "he dragged the word out, hoping she would elaborate. That didn't happen. "What happens now?"

"I don't want you to disappear," she reassured him quickly. "I still want to see you. I want your help with cases. And it would be great if things could stay normal."

"Have things between us ever been normal?" he asked and she couldn't help but to giggle in agreement.

"I just mean," she started, but paused, still smiling. "Don't change anything, Rick. You're perfect." She bit her lip as she blushed. It wasn't the huge confession that he had given, but it was a big step for her.

"Could I get that in writing?" he joked, lightening the mood. "As research," he added, "for the next book, of course."

"You tell anyone I said that and I'll make you regret it," she threatened as only Kate Beckett knew how.

"I like the sound of that," he flirted with her, just like the first day they had met.


	6. Back in the Game

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Three months later Detective Beckett stood uncomfortably in the large office where Captain Montgomery had often encouraged and inspired her. She still hadn't gotten used to seeing the new credentials that hung framed on the walls. There was no life in the place. No pictures of a wife or family. Just stacks and stacks of paperwork piled on a fancy leather couch.

For weeks since she had returned to the 12th Precinct, Kate had been working up the courage to confront her new boss. Things had changed drastically while she was gone and she no longer felt like she fit in. Her colleagues stared when they thought she wasn't looking. She only got to see Ryan and Esposito in quick passing's as they ran around solving cases for their new team lead. Her only escape was to visit Lanie in the morgue, though those visits never lasted long because there was always paperwork Captain Richards wanted done.

She moved her hand to her chest and felt the scar under her blouse. Any day now the doctors were supposed to clear her to start remedial training. She was dying to be back out in the field, but knew she needed to brush up first. When it finally came to taking down her mother's killer, Kate wanted to be at the top of her game.

"Sir," she said, after Captain Richards had finished scolding her. "I'm not complaining about the desk job. I know I can't go out in the field right now, but that doesn't mean I can't still take cases."

"I won't have you slowing down a team." He was stern and unemotional. His voice was deep and forceful and she had already learned that his temper was short.

"You know I'm the best detective here," she argued. She knew he would never say yes the first time. In fact, this was the third time Richards and Beckett had had this conversation. She hoped if should could find the right combination of stubbornness without threatening his authority, he would cave. "Just let me have Ryan and Esposito back. We've been together for years and we know how each other thinks. I'll stay here while they go out in the field. I trust them. I won't slow them down.

"No means no, Beckett," he denied her again. "Just be thankful you have a job." His last words had extra bite to them; you could tell he wasn't a fan.

"I understand," she lied. "And I just want to you to know that despite what I'm about to do, I still very much respect your authority." She made to leave quickly as if there was nothing unusual about what she had just said.

"Excuse me," he barked after her, summoning her back to the room. He stood up behind the desk, knowing his large stature was more threatening. Kate had dealt with much worse though.

"Oh, I was just going to call the mayor and see if he wanted to meet for lunch," she said innocently. "We have some mutual friends and it's been a while since we've caught up." She wished Castle could have been there to witness it. The look on his face would've been priceless and for that she was proud.

"They warned me you were a stubborn one," Richards growled. For a moment he eyed her up, using his own detective experience to determine if it was an empty threat. "Fine. Two bodies were called in an hour ago. You can take the case on a probationary status, but I expect you to stay inside this precinct at all times while you're on duty. Until further notice." Despite the limitations, she was excited. He was caving; now she just had to twist his arm a little bit more.

" Ryan and Esposito?"

"They have off today but if you want to call them in, that's up to you."

"Thank you sir."

"I'm not making anything official, yet," he clarified to her. "First, I want results."

"You'll have them sir." After reassuring him, she remained in the room, considering her next move. There was more she wanted to say, but unsure if it was a good idea. "Sir -," she started.

"I'm going to stop you right there," he interrupted, forcefully. "Don't you think you've asked for enough today?"

"I agree sir, but no one else will volunteer to be my partner if I'm locked up in here."

"You haven't had a partner for three years Beckett, what makes you think you need one now?"

"An extra pair of eyes. An extra mind. It's always helpful."

"We don't have the budget for another detective, you'll have to make do on your own."

"Sir, I'm not asking for another detective. I'm asking for Castle. He comes cheap."

"Last time I checked," Richards spat "an immature and irresponsible novelist was not a requirement for an NYPD homicide team. This is a professional work place not an amusement park."

"Sir, I understand your concerns," she went on but was interrupted again.

"That's enough Beckett," he barked. "It's not open to discussion. Now go get Ryan and Esposito before I change my mind. And solve a damn case."

Beckett left, holding her head high, refusing to show defeat. Knowing that Richards still had her phone tapped, she took it out and sent Castle a text: _R&E are back and we have a DB. You can't come. Richards is threatened by you._

She smiled as she pressed send.

Three hours later, Kate sat at her desk, bored out of her mind. She had already prepped her murder board and cleared her desk of the useless paperwork she had been doing for the past four weeks. All that remained was a various assortment of obligatory greeting cards she had been given upon her return. The chair that used to sit beside her desk was gone; someone had moved it or taken it, most likely putting it to better use than just reminding Kate of the fun her team used to have when Montgomery was in charge.

She was leaning back in her chair yawning when she saw her team arrive off the elevator at the other end of the room. She smiled and stood to greet them as they gathered around her.

"Thanks for rescuing us," Ryan said. "Even if it was our day off."

"Happy to see you're taking it easy," Lanie said, hugging her friend.

"Not by choice," Beckett grumbled. "What do we have?"

"Victims are Alison and Michael Higgins," Detective Esposito started as he and Ryan posted crime scene photos up on the board. "35 and 37. Married. No kids. Michael's parents have retired to Long Island. They're on their way in to identify the bodies."

"Cause of Death?" Beckett asked.

"Single stab wound to the heart," Lanie said. "Same for both."

"There's no blood in these photos," Beckett pointed, confused.

"Time of death was at least two days ago," the young ME explained. "They've been cleaned, redressed, the woman even has fresh makeup. I'll need to do the autopsy to narrow it down, but right now my best guess is sometime Saturday morning."

"So this is personal," Beckett concluded.

"I would say so," Detective Ryan chimed in. "Property management found them in the model unit of the new building about to open in Brooklyn. Door had a keycode on it so real estate agents and their clients could come and go. Someone went up this morning and couldn't get in, found that the code had been changed."

"We'll need a list of everyone who had that code," Beckett ordered.

"Already working on it," replied Esposito. "CSU is processing the unit now."

"Do the victims have any connection to the building?" Beckett asked.

"None of the witnesses recognized them," explained Ryan.

"Okay," Beckett started, formulating a plan in her head. "Let's call building management and find out if there are cameras in the elevators, or any sort of sign in log. A place with those prices has got to have security. And I want to talk to the parents when they show up."

Ryan and Esposito went off to their desks and began making calls, but Lanie lingered.

"How are you doing?" she asked, her voice softening.

"I'm on precinct arrest," Kate said, clearly frustrated. "What do you think?"

"Hang in there," Lanie comforted. "It'll get better. At least you have a case."

"Yeah. But not the case I want," she admitted, as they both thought about the trail that had gone cold on Kate's shooter.

"Give it time, girl," Lanie tried to reassure her. "What about Castle?"

"Richards shot that down before I could even ask," Beckett explained. "But, now I totally understand why it's so hard for him to stay in the car."

"Well, maybe it's for the best," Lanie smirked. "This way you won't have the 'we work together' excuse."

Beckett didn't indulge her jibe with a response. Instead she glared at her best friend. Lanie knew perfectly well that something was different between Castle and Beckett. She had witnessed them together plenty of nights over the past two months when their crew got together for dinner or a poker game, or that weekend at the Hamptons. However, she remained to see any proof that the detective and the writer were actually a couple. All the more need for her encouragement, she reasoned.

"I'm just saying," Lanie offered in response to Kate's glare, but Kate was no longer paying attention to her. On the other side of the room, she was watching a uniform escort an elderly couple into the lounge room.

"Gotta go," Beckett said, still ignoring Lanie's jibe. "I'll see you later. Unless you're too busy with Javier," she added as she walked away, not giving her friend a chance to retort.


	7. Friends and Family

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Thank you for coming," Detective Beckett said to the timid-looking parents of one of the victims. She guessed them to be in their late 60's, but today they were looking especially frail. "Mr. and Mrs. Higgins, I know this is hard, but what can you tell me about your son and daughter in law?"

"They were a happy couple," the gentleman spoke, sadness in his voice. "Work was going well, Mikey had just gotten a promotion."

"Do you know what happened to them?" Mrs. Higgins asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Beckett explained, making a note about the promotion. She showed them a picture from her file folder. "Would they have any reason to be in this building? It's a new residential building in Brooklyn."

"They were shopping for a new place," the older lady said. Then she leaned in to whisper to Kate, "Alison was undergoing fertility treatments."

"It's not a secret, Margaret," her husband told her. "After being dedicated to work for so long they were really hoping to have a child and wanted a bigger place," he explained to Beckett.

"Is there anyone you can think of anyone who would want to cause trouble for them?"

"Everyone loved them," Mr. Higgins said. "It doesn't make any sense. Why them?"

"We have reason to believe that the suspect somehow had a personal relationship with Michael and Alison," Beckett told them. "There's no one you can think of?"

"They were a busy couple," Mrs. Higgins said. "We really only saw them on holidays: Thanksgiving, a day or two at Christmas. We only called every now and then. We didn't want to bother them." She sounded regretful. "You should talk to Christina Reed," she added.

"Christina Reed?" asked Beckett.

"She's known Mikey since high school," Mrs. Higgins explained. "Nice girl. We always thought they'd end up together, but Mikey didn't seem interested. Still, they've stayed close all this time."

"Thank you very much for your help," Beckett said to them, standing. "I'll let you know as soon as we find something." She understood their pain.

"Thank you detective," Mr. Higgins said as he comforted his wife.

Back at the murder board, the team was digging up information on their first suspect.

"Christina Reed," Esposito said, posting her picture on the board. "35, single mother. Former teen-mom. Her kid Andrew is 17. "

"Lives paycheck to paycheck," Ryan added. "Real estate agent by day, waitress by night."

"Went to highschool with Michael Higgins," Esposito read from his notepad. "Bridesmaid in their wedding."

"Clean as a whistle. The most this girl has ever done wrong is a parking ticket three years ago," Ryan concluded.

"Real estate agent isn't exactly a paycheck to paycheck job," Beckett thought out loud. "Maybe she has a bad habit?"

"Maybe, but her gig is new too," Ryan said. "She's been an office clerk at Joseph and Smith Realtors for the past 10 years."

"Talked to her boss," added Esposito. "She just got promoted, last week. Apparently Michael Higgins has a mutual friend with Mr. Joseph and called in a favor. Said she's always been a hard worker so they didn't have a problem giving her a chance to prove herself. Especially since the Higgins' wanted to be her clients."

"What do you think?" Ryan said, trying to read Beckett. "Christina got jealous that her best friend was about to buy a penthouse while she worked two jobs?"

"Did she have the access code for the model apartment?" Beckett asked, considering his theory.

"You bet," Ryan said.

"Bring her in," Beckett ordered. "Any word on those security tapes?" she called after the boys as they started to leave.

"Since the building isn't open yet," Esposito called back, "they haven't been turned on."

"Great," Beckett mumbled, returning to the murder board where she wrote '_No cameras'_

Later that day, Beckett and Esposito sat in the interrogation room with a sobbing Christina Reed. Esposito was handing her tissues with an 'I'm really not enjoying this' look across his face. Behind the glass, Detective Ryan giggled, until Captain Richards entered and stood over his shoulder. Ryan tried not to shiver.

"Ms. Reed," Beckett started, not convinced by her suspect's melodrama. "Is it true that you are the real estate agent for Alison and Michael Higgins?"

"Yes," she answered through her tears. "They were so excited when I got the promotion. It worked out perfectly that they were looking for a new place."

"Was your promotion a surprise to you?" Beckett seemed confused that the Higgins' would've been excited about a promotion Michael had made happen.

"I had asked the bosses a few times over the years," Christina explained, "but they always said I was too nice. They didn't think I could give a hard sell. But we had an agent leave last month," she went on, "and because of budget problems they wanted someone new who wouldn't ask for a big salary. I told them I'd be okay with 75% of what they usually paid a beginner if they just gave me a chance."

"So you weren't aware that Michael Higgins called Bill Joseph and volunteered to be your first client if you were given the job?" Beckett asked, surprised.

"What?" Christina exclaimed. She was either genuine or an excellent actress. "No! Michael called my boss? I told him to stay out of it," she sobbed. "He's always trying to help."

"Most people would be grateful for that," Esposito called her out.

Behind the glass Ryan and Richards stood silently. Ryan prayed for his phone to ring so he'd have an excuse to leave.

"How come he's in there and not you?" Richards asked sternly as Beckett and Esposito went on with their questioning.

"He lost rock, paper, scissors. Usually Castle does interrogations with Beckett. He's not as afraid of her as we are." After he had spoken, Ryan realized he probably should've come up with a more reasonable explanation. But, what he had said was 100% the truth. Richards glared at him disapprovingly.

"You're telling me that Montgomery let Castle participate in interrogations?" Now Ryan was the one being interrogated. He should've chosen paper instead of rock. "He couldn't take notes from behind the glass?"

"I guess not," Ryan stumbled, "sir."

"The complete disrespect for protocol at this place amazes me," Richards trailed off, as if talking to a room full of people who weren't actually there.

"Sir," Ryan was gaining courage. "Castle may not be a cop, but he's a damn good detective. He certainly wasn't unsolving cases."

"If I wanted your opinion Detective Ryan, I would have asked for it," the former marine barked.

"Yes sir," said Ryan, courage gone just as quickly as it had come.

"Who's the awkward kid sitting at your desk?" The captain asked.

"That's Andrew Reed, our suspect's son," Ryan explained.

"What's he doing at your desk?" Richards growled.

"Playing solitaire, I think," Ryan defended,"sir."

"Put him in the break room and give him a magazine," Richards ordered before leaving. "What kind of detective lets a kid on his computer? That's just begging for a security breach. Unbelievable." Ryan heard the insult before the door had closed. He stared after his boss in contempt before sticking out his tongue.

"Yes sir," he said in a mocking girly tone, although no one was there to hear. He left to deal with the kid before he was yelled at again.

Back in the interrogation room a pile of tissues had formed on the cold metal table.

"I've known Michael since I was 15," Christina Reed was still explaining. "I skipped eighth grade but then I was the youngest kid in high-school and no one wanted to be my friend. He made me popular. We were gonna take on the world together. And then I got pregnant my senior year; ever since I've been scraping to get by while he skyrocketed to success."

"Sounds like you might be a bit bitter about that," Esposito suggested, "Michael leaving you in the dust?"

"No, it wasn't like that," she defended, finally controlling her tears. "Michael has always been there for me. He could've stopped talking to me when the whole rest of the school did, but he was too good of a friend. There's been so many times he's helped me cover rent or buy groceries. He never lets me pay when we share a cab or have lunch together. I'd always try to pay him back when I could though."

"What about Alison," Beckett took a different angle. "She couldn't have been too happy about her husband spending so much time with another woman."

"Alison and I got along fine," the woman insisted. "I mean, we're different, but there's never been trouble."

"Their bodies were found in this building," Beckett showed her the picture, realizing Christina was going to be harder to break than she initially thought. "Do you know why they would be there?"

"That's the new building about to open in Brooklyn," Christina said, surprised. "I was going to show them it this weekend."

"Their bodies were found in the model unit. The same one that you have the access code to," Esposito said, cutting to the point.

"Wait," Christina said, finally understanding what they wernge imply. "You think I killed them? They were my best friends!"

"Where were you Saturday morning?" Beckett maintained a stern look.

"I always work two shifts at the restaurant," Christina was quick with her alibi. "8AM to noon and then come back at 6 for the dinner rush. I usually stay until 10 if it's busy. In the middle, I have lunch, usually with Michael and Alison, but Michael texted and canceled, so I just did errands instead."

"What time was that text?" Esposito asked, flipping through his notes.

"I don't know," Christina said. "I was still on shift. 10AM maybe?"

"Was it unusual for him to cancel?" Esposito followed-up.

"It didn't happen too often," she said, "but they've been busy lately so I didn't think anything of it."

"Lanie put the TOD at Saturday morning," Esposito said to Beckett. "If he was alive to send a text at 10AM, that's a really small time frame. They might've been with the killer already."

"Can you think of anyone in either Alison or Michael's life who would want to hurt them?" Beckett asked, no longer convinced that Christina was their suspect.

"Not really, no," the other woman said. Her look was apologetic. "Alison is an event planner. Benefits, galas, fundraisers, all the fancy stuff. Everyone is usually very happy with her work though. And Michael just got his big promotion at the law firm. He was so excited. Although," she paused to think, "he did tell me there were some other people at work also hoping for the job."

"Thank you for your help," Beckett said, ending the interview. "You're free to go."

Outside in the hallway the team reassembled as Christina gathered her son and left.

"Esposito, I want a solid confirmation on that alibi," Beckett ordered. "Ryan, call Michael's boss and find out who else was up for that promotion."

"What are you going to do?" Ryan asked, curious for no reason.

"Hit my head against the wall, have a cup of coffee, and see if Lanie's narrowed down our time of death. Most likely in that order." She smiled at their detectives until they had lingered for too long. Then she shooed them away.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Not sure how I feel about writing a crimemystery. Not really my genre, but I figured I'd give it a go. Its kind of daunting in comparison to the show writers who are so excellent. If you're totally bored let me know and I'll stick to drama/romance after I wrap this case up.


	8. Wild Theories

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

It was like Beckett was in a fishbowl, the way she could feel Captain Richards watching her through his office window. She knew if she wanted to keep her team she had to solve this case, and fast. She focused on the tasks at hand, ignoring him as much as possible. Never could she have imagined someone more distracting than Castle.

"Oh, sorry," Beckett said, realizing she had been ignoring her friend on the other end of the phone. "Thanks Lanie," she hung up. As if on cue, Ryan and Esposito also hung up their phones and assembled at the murder board to report.

"Well it wasn't Christina," Esposito said. "Her alibi checks out. She was at the restaurant all morning, just like she said."

"Lanie said time of death could have been between 8 and 11," Beckett told them. "So it's not impossible for Michael to have texted Christina at 10."

"Michael's boss said there were three other guys they were considering for the promotion," Ryan added. "And guess what?"

"One of them has a history?" This was always her first guess.

"Candidate number two, Henry Page, has been in anger management twice and his ex-wife just sued him for alimony," Esposito elaborated.

"Good reason to need a promotion," Beckett concluded. "That's motive. Bring him in."

"Also, CSU finished at the crime scene," Ryan told her. "Turns out, it's not actually the crime scene. Not a spot of blood anywhere in the apartment. No DNA or prints either.

"So the bodies weren't only staged, they were moved," she said, looking back to the pictures for clues. Nothing was adding up and this bothered her.

"You can't just walk into an apartment building carrying two dead bodies," Esposito said. "Someone's got to have seen something."

"Go back and talk to management," Beckett suggested. "See if they can remember anyone suspicious. We have to find that crime scene."

"I'll send guys out to Alison and Michael's apartment," Ryan said, "see if there are any clues there."

Meanwhile, Rick Castle sat in the office of his uptown loft. What had once been a large empty desk surrounded by a library of best sellers and classics was now crowded with scattered manila folders and sheets of paper. There were three whiteboards, covered with notes and pictures relating to Johanna Beckett's murder. In the top drawer of the desk sat the first draft of his next Nikki Heat novel. He hadn't touched it since the shooting. How could he focus on creating a fictional world when the one around him threatened to collapse? Only one thing mattered to Castle now: keeping the ones he loved safe. Even if it meant losing his book deal, or even his celebrity, he was determined to find Kate's shooter and end this nightmare once and for all.

He leaned back in the comfortable desk chair and twiddled his thumbs while he stared blankly at one of the boards. There had been no recent additions, yet every day he sat there, formulating new stories, trying to fit the pieces together.

"Wanna go see a movie?" Alexis said apprehensively as she entered the office. Her dad looked tired and less youthful than usual and she was worried about him.

"Oh," he said, startled by her presence. "What, none of your friends are available?"

"They are," she admitted, "But, I was hoping to spend time with you."

"Oh," he forced himself to look away from the boards. "I'm kindof of busy," he added, gesturing towards them.

"Dad," she said, using her 'I mean business' voice. "You've been staring at these boards for months. There's nothing new. "

"I came up with a new theory today," he defended, knowing she was right.

"Really?" she said, clearly doubting him

"Yeah, it's the CIA hiding alien technology. Like in Transformers."

"Right," she said sarcastically, before going over to hug him. If 'I mean business' didn't work, plan B was 'I'm adorable and irresistible.' "Are you sure you don't want to go see something. Get your mind off it. Take a break?"

He paused for a moment to think, but there was really nothing to think about. He knew her MO. People just can't say no to the Castle charm. He was proud. He had trained her well. "Okay, let's go," he said smiling.

She smiled in return and started rambling off the movie times which she had memorized in anticipation. They were deciding between the new Taylor Lautner action movie and the Gus Van Sant drama when the doorbell rang.

"Are we expecting company?" Castle asked.

"No, I'll go see," his daughter said, running to the door.

"Hi Kate!" Alexis said, hugging the detective as Castle still entered from the other room. "How are you?" She was excited to see the older woman.

"I'm good Alexis, how are you?" Beckett said, hugging the girl back. As they hugged she made eye contact with Rick who was watching them happily. 'Hi,' she mouthed to him, smiling.

"We were just heading out to a movie," Alexis interrupted their moment. "Want to come?

"Oh, I was just stopping by," Beckett resisted. "Long day today. I finally got a case!"

"A case?" Alexis said, excited for the detective.

"Like, a real case?" Castle asked, equally excited and curious. For a month he had listened to Beckett complain about the paperwork the new captain was burdening her with.

"Yeah," Beckett said. "I finally talked Richards into letting me take a homicide. I still have to stay at the precinct though," she added regrettably.

"Alexis," Castle started, suddenly much less determined to see Taylor Lautner kick some ass. "Would you mind -"

"The movie will still be playing tomorrow," she agreed quickly. "I'm going to order a pizza. Come in!" She said to Beckett, ushering her in and closing the door. Once Alexis had gone upstairs to get her phone, Kate and Rick had a moment alone.

"You look tired," Kate said, deflating the energy in the room. Her eyes showed her concern.

"Just been thinking a lot," Castle deflected.

"About my Mom's case?" Beckett asked, feeling guilty. She knew exactly what it was like to be consumed by that monster.

"Yeah," he sighed, knowing there was no point trying to hide it from her.

"Anything new?" Kate asked, giving him the outlet she had never had.

"Not since you were here last week," he told her, apologetically.

"Have you gotten any writing done?"

"I'm not worried about that right now," he said, holding her gaze.

"Yeah, but I'm worried about you," she responded, challenging him.

"I'm fine," he said, looking away and motioning towards the kitchen barstools.

"That's my line," she said, taking a seat next to him. They both smiled and the air lightened.

"I'm glad you came by," Castle said, once again unable to take his eyes off her. "A week seems like so long when I'm used to seeing you every day."

"I'm worried I don't know how to solve a case without you anymore," she said, pulling out the case file she had smuggled from the precinct. Without pausing, Castle took out his phone and opened the recording app.

"Can you repeat that please? Speak clearly into the microphone," he said it with a totally straightforward face.

"You wish Castle," Kate teased him.

"So, what kind of case do we have?" Castle asked, opening the file. Then he shut it again. "Wait, no, start at the beginning. Tell me how you made Richards cry like a baby."

"There was no crying Castle," she laughed.

"Well, when I put that scene in a book, I'm going to make him cry. I hate that guy."

"He gave me a case," she reasoned. "He gave me Ryan and Esposito. Right now I can't complain."

"The boys are back!" Castle cheered. "Wait, everyone's back but me?" He suddenly wasn't so happy anymore.

"Don't worry Castle, we won't forget about you," she played with him.

"I feel like that kid in detention while everyone else is at recess," he said, saddened.

"That's okay," she smiled, "recess is no fun without the school's funniest kid."

"I see what you did there," he couldn't help but to smile in return.

"Pizza will be here in thirty." Alexis interrupted, returning to the kitchen. Castle tried to hide his smirk, but failed. Kate's sarcastic wit was near the top of the long list of things that made Rick crazy about her.

Beckett stayed longer that evening than she had ever planned. After detailing the case to Castle and Alexis and discounting his outlandish, although amusing, theories the trio moved to the living room with a bottle of wine (and a soda) just to talk about life; it had been two weeks since Ashley had started college at Stanford and Alexis was already struggling with the long distance. Castle appreciated having Kate there to talk to her more than he would ever admit.

The next morning at the precinct, Beckett and Ryan were at Beckett's desk looking through financials, but more so wondering where Esposito was. He finally showed up twenty minutes late.

"Where've you been?" Beckett asked, noticing he was out of breath.

"Make a quick visit to the morgue, if you know what I mean," Ryan teased.

"Ew, Ryan," Beckett shoved him off the corner of her desk, laughing.

"No," Esposito, said, not finding the humor. "Do you realize how long people are willing to wait in line for a frou-frou drink?" He added, sounding seriously peeved. "Soy latte, right?" He added, handing Beckett the coffee he was holding.

"You brought me coffee Esposito?" Beckett asked, utterly confused.

"Yeah, where's mine?" said Ryan.

"Boss says you solve cases better with a coffee in the morning," Esposito explained.

"Richards?" Kate asked, put off.

"No, the other boss," he said quickly, but his two friends looked no less confused. "Castle, duh."

"Castle told you to bring me coffee?" Kate asked, trying not to blush.

"And you listened," Ryan teased. "Did he also tell you to call him boss?"

"What?" Esposito said, brushing them off. "He tips well."

"Wait," Ryan paused. "How did Castle know you had a new case?" Now Beckett was in the hotseat.

"Well we don't have any leads yet, so I stopped by last night to see if he had any ideas," she explained nonchalantly. They stared at her, unconvinced. "What?"

"Just stopped by for a chat?" Esposito teased.

"Yup," she said, not giving in to them.

"Anything else?" Ryan asked, suggestively.

"No," she glared to reinforce the point.

"You're sure?" Esposito pressed.

"Can we please get to work now?" Beckett complained.

"You owe me 20," Ryan whispered to Esposito.

"We both owe Lanie 50," the other detective whispered back.

"I can hear you," Beckett said, scolding them loudly.

"Oh we know," Ryan beamed.

"When did you guys give up being subtle?" she asked curiously.

"About 10 seconds after we heard you weren't going to die," Esposito told her, matching his partners exaggerated smile.

"Awesome. Case. Please?"

* * *

><p>Comments please? (And thanks to those who have already, it's very encouraging. I love hearing what you think.)<p> 


	9. Crime Scenes and Coworkers

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Henry Page, our promotion candidate with a hot temper, he was hiding out at his mother's house." Now that the team had got their daily harassment of each other out of the way, Detective Ryan started to explain the new case details.

"Uniforms didn't track him down until this morning," Esposito added. "They're on their way in with him now."

"Would either of you hide at your mother's house?" Beckett asked.

"Only if I was guilty of murder," Ryan said with a shudder.

"What about building management?" Beckett asked, moving on.

"They were kind enough to give us a list of the 2633 contractors and delivery men who passed through over the weekend," Esposito said sarcastically.

"What?" Beckett said, hoping she had misheard him.

"Most of the custom units are still under construction," Ryan explained. "Counters, cabinets, ovens."

"Stoves, refrigerators, toilets, tubs," Esposito tagged in.

"Showers, sinks, carpets -"

"I get it," Beckett interrupted them after rolling her eyes several times. "So our suspect could've snuck the bodies in without anyone even thinking twice."

"We'll have desks run the list for people with priors, just in case," Esposito. "It's not automated though, so it's going to take a while."

"Hey," Beckett said. "Two days ago, that 'desk' would've been me, so be nice. Is there any good news?" she asked.

"Yes, actually," Ryan said.

"There is?" Beckett said, wondering why they hadn't told her yet.

"We checked out the Higgins' apartment," said Esposito. "Guess what we found?"

"What?" she asked.

"You won't believe it," Ryan teased.

"What?" Beckett said impatiently. Their little routine was much cuter when her job wasn't on the line.

"One 8 inch butchers knife, covered in blood," Esposito revealed. Her jaw dropped a little.

"One large freezer, perfect for preserving bodies in," Ryan continued.

"Two bloody sets of clothing."

"One bag of date-rape pills."

"Are you done?" Beckett asked when there was a pause in their rapid-fire.

"And a partridge in a pear tree," Esposito said with a totally straight face.

"That last one seemed out of place, but who are we to judge," Ryan added.

"So we have our crime scene," Beckett, said, trying not to smile.

"Yeah, but there's a problem," Esposito revealed before she was able to get too excited.

"No prints," Ryan said, getting to the point.

"No prints?" Beckett asked, now more frustrated than ever.

"Just like the dump site," Ryan said.

"Two sites with no prints, and a hacked lock box," Beckett summarized. "This guy knew what he was doing. "

"The only thing we know about this guy is that he has some sort of personal relationship with the victims," Esposito accounted.

"Okay," Beckett said, determined. "Let's talk to the angry co-worker. Meanwhile, have uniforms canvas the neighbors, see if they saw or heard anything."

Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito entered the interrogation room together. After the observation room incident of the prior day there had been no rock, papers, scissors game.

"Thank god," Henry Page complained, halting his pacing routine. "What took you people so long. Will you please tell me what I'm doing here?" He was an unfortunate looking man; short and largely overweight, his hairline long since passed. His face was red and sweaty and Beckett knew immediately that he would be easy to fold. The ones with the tempers always tripped up quickly.

"Sit down, Mr. Page," she said sternly as she took the middle of the three seats on the opposite side of the table.

"I'll stand, thanks," he spat back at her, loosening his tie.

"SIT DOWN," Beckett said again, much more forcefully. He did.

"Do you know these people?" Esposito asked, showing him a candid of Alison and Michael. The photo of the bodies was in the file for later.

"What kind of question is that?" Page answered, as if they were insulting his intelligence. "That's Michael Higgins and his stupid trophy wife."

"You sound like a fan," Ryan challenged him.

"The guy's an arrogant jerk," Page said. "I've been at that firm for 15 years. And then this kid shows up, starts schmoozing with the bosses, and four years later he's getting my promotion."

"So it would benefit you to have him out of the picture," Beckett planted the bait.

"Yeah, of course," he took it without a second thought.

"Where were you Saturday morning?" Esposito followed.

"What?" Page said, confused. "None of your business."

"This is very much our business," Beckett said. "Michael and Alison Higgins are dead."

"Really? Wait when?" he asked, almost sounding excited, but then he caught on and changed his tone. "And you think I did it? No, no, no…"

"You just told us you wanted him out of the way," Ryan said, trying to force him to confess.

"Yeah, I hated the guy," Page said, "but I didn't kill him."

"Well, that's convincing," Ryan retorted sarcastically.

"We know about the alimony, Mr. Page." Beckett started formulating the story for him. "You were desperate for money and you thought you'd get the promotion and everything would be fine."

"But then you didn't," Esposito chimed in. "So you had to take care of the guy who got in your way"

"It's not like that," Page stuttered. He was falling apart.

"So you went over to their apartment," Beckett continued. "But you weren't expecting his wife to be there. So you killed both of them. And then you staged their bodies at the condo building to make it look like his best friend did it."

"I don't even know who his best friend is. This is crazy. I didn't kill him."

"Well then why were you hiding at your mother's house when we went looking for you last night," Ryan asked.

"Is it a crime to visit your mother?" Page retorted.

"Where were you Saturday morning?" Beckett asked forcefully.

"With my kids. My ex-wife dropped them off at 8. We had breakfast and then we went to the Zoo."

"You better hope that checks out," Esposito said. But the man was already fidgeting nervously. Beckett wondered how he ever made a successful lawyer.

"Are you sure you don't want to think about that," she baited him again.

"No," he said, still trying to lie.

"What's your ex-wife's number," Beckett said casually, taking out her phone. The boys watched with a smirk, knowing their suspect was about to be schooled.

"Why?" Page panicked. "You're going to call her?"

"What? You think we just automatically believe people when they give us alibis?" she laughed.

"Okay fine," he folded.

"Fine what?" Beckett asked. She needed a clear confession for the DA.

"My wife didn't drop my kids off until after lunch."

"Where were you between 8 and 11 on Saturday morning?" Beckett forced.

"I was withahooker," he mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Beckett said.

"I was with a hooker, okay!" If it was possible for his face to get any more red, it did.

"At 8 AM?" Esposito couldn't contain his snicker.

"What, my kids were coming over later!" Page defended.

"You better hope that checks out," Beckett said.

"It will," Page said, deflated.

"Don't leave town," Ryan said as they packed their files to leave.

An hour later the team had reassembled at the murder board.

"Angry Page's alibi is rock solid," Ryan said regretfully. "He used his credit card online to order the hooker."

"And she was there for three hours?" Beckett asked. She had to fill in all the gaps, but she really wasn't looking forward to the answer to that question.

"Apparently he likes to have a friendly chat with them first," Esposito explained.

"Typical, lonely businessman type," Ryan said.

"At that price?" Esposito questioned. "If I was lonely I'd just go chat up the homeless guy on the corner."

"Hey man," Ryan joked, "if that's what you're in to."

"Okay," Beckett said, frustrated about another lead lost. "What about the neighbors?"

"Nobody saw or heard anything," Ryan read from his notepad. "Christina and Andrew Reed visited on Wednesday night, but apparently they come and go regularly."

"The Higgins did have a house party the prior weekend to celebrate Michael's promotion," Esposito added. "Twenty or so guests."

"Did the front desk have a guest list?" Beckett asked, hopefull.

"Yeah," Ryan said, they're faxing it over.

"That's too early in the timeline, but right now we've got nothing else. Compare that list with the list of delivery men and construction workers at the apartment complex. See if there are any matches," she ordered.

"Beckett, so far every lead has gone dead," Esposito observed.

"What do you want me to do about it?" she snapped. Rather than answer her they both just stared, waiting for her to figure it out. "What?"

"Maybe we should call Castle?" Ryan suggested apprehensively.

"We can't," Beckett said, as if the thought had already crossed her mind. "Richard's will be on to us in seconds. Our phones are still tapped."

"So? We know where he lives," Esposito reasoned.

"It's not even 10AM yet," Beckett said.

"We'll just pretend we're going to pick up a suspect," Ryan said. The team stared at each other, wondering if they could really get away with it. Beckett knew she wasn't supposed to leave the precinct while on duty, so she immediately started formulating an excuse about needing to pressure a judge for a warrant.

"Grab the files," she said quietly. "I'll meet you there."


	10. The Consultant

Thanks for the reviews guys! I really really appreciate them!

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Outside the door to Castle's loft, Kate was about to knock when Esposito stopped her. Behind the door they could hear rock music blaring.

"Can we scare him?" Esposito asked, reaching for his weapon.

"Just don't shoot anything," Beckett agreed, "too much paperwork." She stepped back and let the boys go in front.

"Sure thing, Mom," Ryan said, also taking out his weapon. The partners took their stances and on the count of three, Esposito kicked down the door.

"NYPD! HANDS UP!" they both shouted as they entered the apartment. Castle was in the living room playing Guitar Hero. He was wearing boxers and an old faded t-shirt which were all that were left to cover him when he screamed like a girl, dropped the guitar and threw his hands in the air. When Ryan and Esposito started laughing uncontrollably, he realized it was all a joke, but he didn't smile. Kate entered, making a dramatic show out of stepping over the busted door.

"Really, guys? Really?" Castle said, collecting his nerves.

"Hey man, nice boxers," Esposito choked between laughs as he put his gun away. "Are those Superman?"

"I'm supposed to be the immature one," Castle said, mostly sorry he had never thought of pulling that prank on one of them.

"Mind if I make some coffee?" Ryan said, motioning towards the kitchen.

"Why not, you've already taken ten years off my life."

"Make that four coffees, Ryan," Beckett said while she smiled and eyed up the door that still laid on the ground.

"Is the city going to pay for that?" Castle asked, seriously. They all rolled their eyes at him. "If I'm not actually in trouble, I'm just gonna go…" Without finishing his sentence, he pointed upstairs and disappeared. The others crowded around the table and relived his reaction while they waited for him to come back. When he did he was wearing nice jeans and a dress shirt, tucked in with a black belt and unbuttoned twice at the top.

"So, to what do I owe this visit," he asked, joining them at the table.

"We just missed you bro," Ryan faked tears.

"Oh Ryan," Castle acted back, "We all know I schooled you at poker last week."

"Yeah, and then Beckett schooled you, Castle" Esposito chimed in.

"Our case is going nowhere," Beckett spoiled the fun and told him the real reason.

"Oh I see," He said, pulling the case files towards him. "You miss my creative and brilliant mind."

"Sure," Beckett said sarcastically. "We'll go with that."

"Yo," Ryan started, showing Castle some photos, "everyone with any personal motive has a solid alibi."

"Maybe it was a hired hit?" Castle suggested.

"We know that's the best way to have a good alibi," Ryan agreed.

"Don't actually be the one who kills them," Castle finished.

"A hit man couldn't just walk into a residential building unnoticed." Beckett wasn't convinced. "No one at either building saw anything suspicious."

"Unless they're lying," Castle reasoned.

"Well our two most likely suspects don't have the pockets to afford a hit man," Ryan said. "So if it wasn't one of them, we have no motive. Everyone seemed to like these guys."

"Let's start at the beginning," said Castle, agreeing that something wasn't adding up. "The killer has been good about covering his tracks, but we still know some things." He flipped through their notes and compared the pictures of the crime scene and the staging scene.

"He's smart," Beckett said. "He's been planning this for a while."

"And he used date rape drugs to sedate the victims," Esposito added.

"So if they were sitting around having a drink," Castle thought aloud, "he must have known them well."

"They probably let him in," Ryan concluded.

"Right," Castle agreed. "He was angry enough to want them dead, but compassionate enough to not want them to suffer."

"Or he wasn't strong enough to take them out unless they were sedated," Beckett said.

"That's possible," Castle said, "but I think my theory has more grounds. This was violent, but it wasn't brutal. One deadly wound. And then they they're cared for and arranged nicely."

"In crimes of passion we usually see excessive beating, blood everywhere," Esposito agreed with Castle.

"So he slips the pills into their drinks," Beckett started, working through their timeline. "Waits until they pass out, and then stabs them. Keeps their bodies refrigerated, cleans up his mess, and then moves them to the new apartment building, and stages them like a family from Stepford.

"The other building!" Castle exclaimed. "The suspect must've known that they were planning to look at that building."

"They got killed over an apartment?" Esposito asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No," Castle said. "Well, maybe… But we saw that Michael's coworker was mad about his promotion. Who else, recently got a surprise promotion?"

"Christina Reed," Beckett said, finally understanding where he was going with this.

"Maybe one of the other agents found out that Christina only got her job because of Michael's call to the boss," Castle suggested.

"They would've been out a nice commission," added Ryan.

"And the other agents could easily have had access to the code on the lockbox and Christina's client list," Beckett said.

"While Christina was working her other job," Esposito chimed in, "they could've called up the Higgins', told them a new place just became available but they had to act fast."

"Not wanting to miss a good opportunity," Castle continued the story, "they invite them over, have some drinks, look at pictures, plan to go see the place, next thing they know they've been stabbed in the back."

"Yeah," Ryan said, "except… in the heart."

"Yeah, but 'stabbed in the heart' isn't as catchy as 'stabbed in the back.'" Castle said.

"Let's run phone records on all of Christina's coworkers," Beckett concluded. Just as she did, her own phone rang. "Beckett… Oh hey Lanie… Oh we're at Cast-, I mean, we're interviewing a suspect… Pregnant? You're sure? Well that changes things. Thanks. I'll see you later." Esposito's face went white while the boys waited for her to explain. "Relax Esposito, we were talking about the victim. Alison Higgins was eight weeks pregnant. But the father isn't Michael."

"Who is it?" Castle asked.

"We don't know," Beckett said, reformulating her hypothesis in her mind.

"That doesn't make sense though," Ryan said. "If Alison was having an affair, wouldn't Michael be the one with motive?"

"Unless…" Castle started, he too was rethinking the story.

"What?" Beckett asked when he didn't elaborate.

"What if Alison's mystery man finds out he's the father," Castle suggests. "He offers his love and support to her, but she doesn't want to leave Michael."

"So he kills, Alison, Michael, and his own kid?" Esposito asked, not convinced anyone was that twisted.

"Is it strange to any of you that Christina didn't know that Alison was pregnant?" Beckett asked. "I mean, she was their best friend."

"Unless Alison hadn't told Michael yet, there's no way Christina didn't know," Castle said. He understood women… most of the time. "And she probably knew Alison was cheating too."

"I think it's time to pay Christina another visit," Beckett said, standing up from the table.

"Can I come?" Castle asked.

"Sorry Castle," Beckett denied him.

"But?" He protested pointlessly.

"Thanks for the coffee," Esposito said, emptying his mug.

"See you on Saturday for the baseball game," Ryan added. Before he knew it, the detectives were gone.

"Bye?" Castle said, looking confusedly at the hole where his door was supposed to be. As he cleared the table of their coffee cups and saucers, he noticed they had accidentally left a picture of the staged bodies in the bedroom of the model took it as his sign to intervene.

An hour later Detective Beckett approached the tiny Queens diner where Christina Reed worked her second job. She and the boys had stopped at the real estate agency, only to find that they had given Christina the week off. Beckett left her partners there to dig into Christina's coworkers while she went to the diner.

"Table for one?" Asked the hostess, eying up Beckett.

"No thanks," Beckett said, flashing her badge. "Is Christina Reed here?"

"I'll go get her," said the hostess. Christina appeared with her purse, looking frustrated.

"I could've really used those hours," she said, "but now they're sending me home. Do you have any news?"

"Sorry," Beckett said, "not yet. But I have some more questions for you."

"Do you mind walking with me?" Christina asked. "My apartment's just a few blocks but my son is expecting me home. He's been really upset about all of this. Michael was his only father figure."

"Ms. Reed, why didn't you tell me that Alison Higgins was pregnant?" Beckett asked, once they had started walking.

"They had only just found out. And they had been trying for so long. They had lost a few before so they weren't even sure if it was going to last."

"Did you know Alison was having an affair?"

"What?" Christina sounded surprised.

"Michael isn't the father," Beckett told her.

"That's impossible. Maybe they were using a sperm donor. Alison was embarrassed that she wasn't able to get pregnant. But she never would've cheated."

Beckett made a note to look into the sperm donor theory.

"Here's the thing, Ms. Reed, whoever killed Michael and Alison knew them well. Knew them well enough to go to their apartment. Knew they were looking at that new building. And knew the access code to the model unit. We looked into Michael's coworkers, but none of them fit."

"Believe me detective," Christina said. "I know all signs point to me, but I didn't do it! I'm sure you've checked my alibi by now."

"But that doesn't mean you couldn't have had someone else to do it for you. It makes sense that you'd be angry if your best friend's wife was cheating on him. But why would you kill Michael?"

"I didn't, I swear. After all he's done for me. I don't know how I'm going to live without him!"

"Do you mind if we look around your place?"

"No, not at all. I won't even make you get a warrant. I just want this all to be over."

Beckett paused to think for a moment. She had a hard time believing Christina Reed to be capable of murdering her best friends. "I know this is a long stretch, but is it possible that one of your coworkers could've found out that Michael called in a favor for you?"

"I guess it's possible," the other woman said. As they arrived at the apartment, Christina held open the door for Beckett and instructed her to climb to the third floor. As they walked in, the flustered woman apologized for the mess. The unit was very tiny and cluttered. It was clear to Beckett that they were struggling.

"So you were asking about my coworkers," Christina continued once she had offered Beckett a glass of water. "There were a few dumb blondes who were sleeping with the bosses. When I got the job, they obviously thought I had been too and they were mad. They always treated me like trash."

"Mad enough to kill your best friends? Maybe to send a message?" Beckett looked around the apartment carefully, searching for clues.

"Again," Christina said, "it's possible. But I don't even think anyone at the office knew I was friends with Michael and Alison. They never went out of their way to get to know me."

Beckett's phone rang and her caller ID revealed it was Esposito. She excused herself to take the call. "Beckett."

"Yo, Beckett. We just left Joseph and Smith Realtors. One Rachel Grayson specifically went to the bosses demanding to know why Christina got the job. And get this, her husband John Grayson is on our list of contractors who was in the building over the weekend.

"Bring them in."

"Already on our way."

At the precinct, Beckett got right down to business. She didn't want to leave Captain Richards any opportunities to call her into his office. Her 'warrant pursuit' had ended up being a four hour field trip.

"Which do you want first?" Ryan said to her, indicating the interrogation rooms where Rachel and John Grayson were being held separately.

"Behind door number one," Esposito indicated, "New York's biggest bimbo, Mrs. Rachel Grayson."

"Behind door number two," said Ryan, "New York's biggest good-for-nothing, Mr. John Grayson."

"Come on boys," Becket played with them, "you know there's no one I love scaring more than a bimbo."

"Door number one it is," said Esposito, handing Beckett his notes on Rachel.

"Oh yeah," Ryan added, "Rachel's alibi for the drop is solid and John's alibi for the murder is solid, but not so much the other way around."

"They split it up," Beckett concluded. "She takes them out then he dumps the bodies?"

"Sounds like it," Esposito agreed. "Should tie this case up nicely"

"If Castle was here right about now he'd be saying they didn't do it," Ryan pointed out. "Nothing's that simple," he did his best Castle impersonation.

"Yeah, well, we'll see about that," Beckett said, determined to prove the absent Castle wrong.


	11. Case Closed

I really hope you guys like the way I wrap up this case. It's going to be a few days before the next chapter because I have some finals in the second half of the week. Let me know what you want, though. I can do another case + the personal stuff (the way the show works) or I can stick to just the personal stuff if thats what you prefer reading. Thanks for all the comments so far! Don't be shy, I appreciate constructive criticism too!

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Detective Beckett entered the interrogation room where Rachel Grayson was twirling her long blonde hair and chewing a fresh piece of bubble gum. This was going to be a girl-on-girl catfight. Her team watched from the observation room, making bets on how fast Rachel would crack.

"Mrs. Grayson, do you care to explain why you were so interested in Christina Reed and her promotion?"

"Cuz I was sure that slut was sleeping her way to the top."

"How were you sure?" Beckett asked.

"Nobody gets a promotion at Joseph and Smith unless they go 'above and beyond' for the bosses," Rachel told her. "Believe me, I know," she added with a bit of sass.

"So when you found out she didn't have to give it up to get her promotion, you must have been pretty upset," Beckett suggested. "Threatened even?"

"Honey, look at me," Rachel said, motioning to her chest. "No way was I threatened by that piece of trash."

"So then why did you kill her?" Beckett asked forcefully.

"I didn't kill her," Rachel insisted. "Just like I told that Irish cutie when I gave him my alibi." She winked at the mirror knowing that Detective Ryan was probably watching the interrogation.

"You were at home, watching TV, by yourself," Beckett read from the notes. "Very strong alibi," she said sarcastically.

"I can't help it if you don't believe me," Rachel brushed her off. "But I know you don't have any other proof."

"You had motive, and you had access," Beckett told her. "Christina stole your promotion, so you decided to steal the one thing that was important to her. You hijacked her client list, called Michael Higgins, and arranged to meet at his apartment. Then you drugged Alison and Michael and stabbed them in the heart. You had your husband John clean up your mess and make it look like Christina did it. You almost tricked us. Too bad Christina was at the diner all morning."

"That's a lovely little story," Rachel tossed her hair, "but you're wrong. I don't know anything about those murders." She blew a large bubble.

"We have your phone records," Beckett played another hand. "You called Michael Higgins on Saturday morning, just before he was murdered."

"Just to tell him to back off," Rachel claimed. "If his girl wanted a promotion she was gonna have to earn it like the rest of us."

"So first you were mad at her for sleeping with the bosses, and then you were mad that she wasn't?" Beckett hoped this was the hole in the story that would make Rachel fold.

"Exactly," Rachel said.

"But you didn't kill Michael and Alison?"

"Nope."

"Good luck convincing the jury of that," Beckett said.

As she started to read Rachel her Miranda rights, Esposito and Ryan were exchanging cash.

"See bro," Esposito smiled, collecting his winnings. "I told you it would tie up nicely."

Just as he said it, the observation room door opened and a tall man in a black hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses walked in. They were very expensive sunglasses.

"It wasn't the coworker, I know who did it," he said.

"Castle?" Ryan asked, inspecting the disguise.

"Shhh," Castle hushed them. "My name is Ricardo Palace," he whispered.

"Really dude?" Esposito laughed.

"Palace?" Ryan stared judgementally.

"You know, castle, palace…" Castle explained.

"Yeah," said Esposito, "we get it."

"Beckett! It wasn't her!" Castle said, banging loudly on the glass. Beckett knew there was only one person who would bang on the glass.

"Castle?" She asked, confused. "I'll be back," she said to Rachel.

Out in the hallway the whole team was assembled.

"Castle, what are you doing here?" Beckett asked, trying to keep her voice down. "And what are you wearing?"

"My name is Ricardo Palace," he said with a smile. "Do you like my disguise?"

"Just go with it," Esposito said when she looked to her detectives to explain.

"I know who the killer is," Castle said urgently.

"If Richards sees you here I'm going to know who your killer is," Ryan joked.

"I'm almost tempted to stall," Beckett smiled, "just to see you try to talk your way out of it."

"I just want you to know that all three of you suck," he said as he led them to the murder board.

"You guys left this picture of the staged bodies at my house," he started to explain. "So I went online to look at the advertising pictures for the model unit, to see if anything didn't match." He posted a before and an after photo side by side on the board. "Look, nothing was changed from the official pictures, except these picture frames in the bedroom."

"So," said Esposito, "they could've added some pictures after they took the photos."

"No," Castle said, as if he had hit the jackpot. "There's only one extra, and look closer," he said, pointing to the anomaly.

"Is that Alison and Michael?" Ryan said, leaning in close.

"Pull it up on the computer," Beckett ordered as they gathered around the desk. Esposito manned the mouse.

"No! It's Christina and Michael, and some kid." Esposito said, enlarging the photo.

"They look younger," Beckett observed, "this is at least five years old. That must be Andrew Reed."

"Bingo!" Castle said.

"You think the kid did it?" Beckett asked, not sure she was convinced.

"Where's that list of people who went into the new building over the weekend," Castle asked. Ryan grabbed it from his desk and hurried over with it.

"Look," Castle said, scanning the pages quickly. He stopped on the third. "AJ Read. R – E –A –D. They must've written his name down wrong."

"But why?" Beckett asked, trying to form the whole story. "Christina said Michael was like a father to him."

"Like a father?" Castle raised his eyebrows. "That's not exactly enough when he actually is your father"

"You think Michael is Christina's baby daddy?" Esposito exclaimed.

"I'll bet you both 500 dollars," Castle said confidently.

"That would explain all the favors," Ryan reasoned.

"Christina and Michael must've agreed to keep it a secret," Castle theorized. "But Andrew's a smart kid. He recognized the resemblance. So while he sits at home in a cramped apartment and second-hand clothes, he sees the life he should've had flaunted in front of him."

"What's going on here?" Richards barked as he stormed from his office towards the team. Castle sidestepped behind Esposito and Ryan, though he should've chosen Beckett; with her heels on she was taller than them.

"Just wrapping up our case, sir," Beckett responded, as if everything was normal.

"What's he doing here?" Richards demanded. Castle's disguise failed, as expected.

"Just dropping off the mail," Castle interjected before Beckett could defend him. "I'm writing my next book about savvy postal-delivery clerk with a dark secret." He reveled in the nonsense of his lie. Ryan and Esposito were almost crying from holding in their laughter. Beckett kept her eyes locked with Richards. She knew he wasn't going to respond well to being mocked.

"Get out of my precinct, now!" Richards screamed, drawing attention from the others in the office. Castle left without another word. As he walked down the long row of desks towards the elevator, he exchanged several subtle 'feed-the-birds' with his old friends who equally hated the new captain. "In my office, Beckett," Richards growled. Without a word she handed Ryan her file folder and followed the captain into his office. She wasn't going down without a fight.

Ryan and Esposito stood shoulder to shoulder with their backs to the murder board, watching the yelling match that was happening behind the closed door.

"He wouldn't actually fire her, would he?" Ryan asked.

"Not unless he wanted the whole precinct to quit," Esposito reassured. "But that doesn't mean he's not going to make our lives hell."

"Should we pick up Andrew Reed?"

"I'll put a call in to the uniforms. There's no way I'm leaving in the middle of this show."

About five minutes later Beckett left Richards office by slamming the door behind her. Everyone who had paused their work immediately tried to look busy. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, pulled her hair off her neck, and rejoined her team.

"Where were we?" She asked.

"Uh," Ryan stumbled, "uniforms are picking up Andrew Reed. We hope that's okay."

"That's fine," she said. She left the room before they could question her and retreated to the morgue.

"Do you have anything I can stab?" Beckett asked Lanie as she entered with a huff.

"There aren't enough dead bodies in the world that could fix whatever's going on with you," Lanie said, watching Kate as she paced around the metal slab. "Wanna talk about it?"

"The nerve of him!" Kate shouted. "He just walks in here and thinks he can do whatever he wants. He doesn't care about anyone else. It's all about appearances. Not what actually works. It's his way or no way!"

"I thought things were fine between you and Castle?" Lanie said, confused. She was used to Beckett complaining about Castle and his childish behavior and arrogant attitude, but today she wasn't following her friend's rant at all.

"No," Beckett said. "Not Castle, Richards."

"Ohhh," Lanie said. "What happened?"

"Ryan, Esposito and I went to see Castle this morning to ask him to help with the case," Beckett explained. "Every lead we had was coming up empty. We spent the rest of the day chasing around more suspects. Then, I'm about to make an arrest when Castle shows up with it all figured out. And of course we've got the wrong person. But does Richards care that Castle solved the case?"

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say no," Lanie said, sarcastically.

"He made a huge scene and threw Castle out. Then called me into his office to scream at me. He's putting me back on paperwork after this case," Kate crumbled, hiding her face in her hands as she tried to calm her breathing. Lanie put her arm around Kate and brushed her hair out of her face. "Everything's gone," she cried. "My mom's case. My team. My job. My relationship."

"Stop it, right now," Lanie demanded. "We all know that you're not going to sit around here and let some over-the-hill guy with a steroid problem make you do paperwork for the rest of your life. You're Kate Beckett."

"He doesn't listen to anyone. What am I supposed to do?"

"You said Castle is here right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sure between the two of you, you can figure something out," Lanie smiled at her. "Now wash your face, go upstairs, and close your case. Don't let Richards win."

"Thanks Lanie," Beckett said, hugging her friend.

In the interrogation room for the last time until Detective Beckett wasn't sure when, she sat across from a very nervous looking seventeen year old. She recounted the case details, explaining to Andrew how they knew that Michael Higgins was his father. She saw that he needed nurturing, so she committed to the sympathetic approach.

"When you found out that Michael and Alison were trying to get pregnant, that must've destroyed you," she said. "They already had a son and yet they wouldn't admit it." The teen didn't respond but she could see a tear forming in his eye.

"Saturday morning when your mom was at work," Beckett explained to him, "you snuck the passcode from her briefcase and went confront Michael and Alison. When Michael denied it, you realized you were never going to have the life you deserved, so you put the date rape drugs in their drinks, waited for them to pass out, and then killed them. What I don't understand is why all the staging? Why not just leave the bodies? You left a clean crime scene. If it wasn't for the picture you put on the dresser in the model unit, we never would've found you."

"That was the life we should've had," he cried. "The perfect condo. The perfect clothes. No Alison. No stupid baby. Just my mom, my dad, and me."

"You did her makeup to look like your mom," Beckett said, looking at the picture.

"We would've been so happy," he cried.

"Maybe you would have," Beckett agreed. "But now you're going to be sent away and your mom will be left with nothing." Beckett sighed and she closed the case file. She hated the ones that ended like this.

It was dark outside when Kate finally left for the night. She was surprised by the shadow of a hooded man leaning against the stone wall.

"You're still here?" she said, smiling at Castle.

"I wanted to apologize," he answered. "I shouldn't have come. I could've just called. Was he hard on you?"

"He put me back on paperwork," she sighed.

"Kate, I'm so sorry," he begged for her forgiveness.

"It's okay Castle," she said. "We wouldn't have solved the case without you."

"But what about your job?"

"I'll let you make it up to me," she teased, looping her arm through his as they started towards the subway.

"Anything you want…except my Ferrari…or my remote controlled helicopter…or -"

"I need you to set me up on a blind date," she said.

"Oh," he said, surprised, confused, and saddened. "With who?"

"Mark Richards."

"You want a date with Mark Richards? The senator? New York's most eligible bachelor?"

"I like to think of him as my boss's son."


	12. The Plan

Author's Note: Thanks for being patient while I studied! Extra thanks for all the reviews and hello to all the new followers! I've got a few more busy days ahead, but I wanted to squeeze one in for you guys. I hope it holds you over! Comments and criticism appreciated as always.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"You have to change," Rick Castle said as he walked through the door Kate Beckett held open for him. She was wearing a flaming red skin-tight mini-dress.

"What's wrong with this?"

"You look like a 17 year old begging to get knocked up on prom night."

"Subtle," she said, retreating to her room. He followed her but hovered in the door way. "Do you have any better ideas?" her voice muffled as she disappeared into the closet.

"Something darker? Maybe a little less leg? He's young and famous, but he still has some sort of public image to uphold."

"Should I get out my pantsuit?" She joked.

"Can I take come in?" he asked and she accepted. She had never let a guy see her closet before, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "So where do you hide all your leather and ropes?" he joked as he began flipping through dresses.

"Maybe one day you'll find out," she whispered seductively into his ear. He was grateful to be facing the racks so that she wouldn't see his face flush.

"Here," he said, lifting out a hanger. She accepted the dress and then they stood facing each other. It was an awkward silence.

"You can wait out there," she said, indicating the main room of the cozy apartment.

"Right," he said, regaining his thoughts.

"What do you think?" She said, striking a pose for him five minutes later.

"I'm liking this idea less and less," he stumbled. He couldn't help but to stare as he imagined her body under the sexy but sophisticated black cocktail dress.

"I've told you a thousand times that I'm just going to be acting," she explained, leading the way back to her bedroom. He took a seat on the edge of her bed and watched as she finished doing her hair. "Eyes up here," she added, catching him in the mirror. There was no denying that he checking out her butt.

"What if you start by acting and then actually fall for him," Castle whined.

"He's with a different girl every three weeks. Do you really see him as my kind of guy?"

"No," Castle said, but he didn't believe himself. "Maybe? I don't know. If he ever wants to run for president he's going to have to settle down and have a strong woman by his side. Maybe you're just what he's looking for."

"He needs a lawyer or an MBA, not a cop."

"I still don't see how this is going to get your job back," Castle said, changing the topic. Kate was now working on her makeup and he couldn't keep his eyes from scanning her whole body.

"It's simple. I tell him about being wounded on the job and my mean boss who keeps me desked. But the trick is I let him figure out that my boss is actually his dad, so that he doesn't feel used and he'll be more inclined to make a call. I'll just pretend like I had no idea. Richards is a common last name. Of course, it's going to take a few dates to get to that point. He'll have to feel like I'm worth speaking up for."

"It's not going to work, Kate."

"Why? You didn't tell him I was Nikki Heat, did you?"

"No, I told him you were a cop I met while shadowing the cop who's Nikki Heat; just like you told me to say."

"So what's the problem?" she asked.

"Let's ignore for the moment that you're using sex to get work," he started, "and think about what's actually going to happen on this date. Mark freaking Richards is taking you to Morimoto. The paparazzi are there every night. Tomorrow morning there's going to be a picture of you two on Page 6 and you know they'll have connected the dots that you're Nikki Heat. You'll be busted and I'll be out a very important friend." She cursed loudly.

"You have to call him," she said, frantically grabbing for her makeup remover.

"What? And say what?" Castle was confused.

"Tell him we can't go to that restaurant."

"Seriously, you're going to turn down Morimoto?"

"You can take me there some other night." Now she was unzipping the back of her dress.

"Whoa," he said, covering his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Man up, Castle." The dress dropped to the floor leaving her in a black bra and short skirt slip. "I have to change and you have to convince Mark to take me somewhere low key and casual."

"And he's just supposed to say 'yeah, sure, okay!'"

"You're the writer, make something up!" She was now rummaging through her drawers looking for an appropriate pair of jeans.

Castle left the room and when he reappeared three minutes later he couldn't help but to feel saddened that Kate had redressed. She was wearing dark fitted jeans and a loose cream blouse which she had belted. Her darker makeup and high-heeled peep-toes made up for the sexiness she had lost when she ditched the dress.

"Told him you were intimidated by his high-profile and would prefer something more private for the first date," Castle told her, even though he wished it was him taking her. "He said he knows of a nice pub that's off the beaten path and that he'd pick you up at 7."

"Did you tell him you were with me?" She worried.

"You really have no faith in me do you?"

"You better go, just in case he's early," she said, ignoring his question. Castle grabbed his coat and slowly made his way into the living room and towards the front door. As a nice hostess, she escorted him.

"You look great," he said, taking her in one last time. "Have fun," he forced a smile.

"Don't worry," she said, kissing Castle on the cheek. "I'm not going to sleep with him." She held the door open and Castle left with very naughty images in his mind.


	13. Blind Date

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"I hope this is okay," Mark Richards said as he pulled out a chair for Kate. They had just been seated a table for two in a cozy Irish pub on the upper east side. It was out of the way and essentially empty, though the senator swore the food was great. He considered it his secret hideaway. None of the patrons or staff cared that he was famous and important. They brought him what he ordered, had a friendly chat like they would with any other regular, and then left him alone. Kate wondered if he had ever brought a date here before. She was used to seeing his picture on page six ducking away from the cameras as he left five-star celebrity-chef restaurants with long-legged fashion-forward women. He usually made no effort to hide his lifestyle, proud that he was smart and powerful, but still a social firework. His voters loved him because he was charming, his colleagues respected him because he was stubborn yet reasonable, and now Kate was seeing a totally different side of him.

"This is great," she said, taking the seat with a smile. He was just as handsome as she had seen on TV. He had that all-american look that led her to imagine him as the quarterback on his prep school's varsity football team. He was tall with a square jaw and wavy brown hair that was just long enough to give him a boyish appeal while still looking professional. Like Kate, he had also changed to match the new locale of their date. He was wearing dark dress jeans and a blue button-down shirt under a navy blazer. Kate was impressed.

"So you know Rick from work?" Mark asked. It was an easy ice-breaker when the date had been setup by a mutual friend.

"He's been shadowing one of my colleagues for his latest series," she lied.

"Nikki Heat, right?" he asked. "I read the first one."

"What did you think?" Kate couldn't help but to ask.

"Honestly," he paused, "I was a bit distracted by how obvious it was that he was head-over-heals for whoever it was who inspired her character."

"Really?" she asked. She was caught off guard and almost blew her cover.

"I mean," Richards went on, "you guys must see it at work. I bet he follows her around like a loyal puppy."

"Yeah, I guess," Kate said, trying to act indifferent.

"Sounds like Rick," he concluded with a smile. "Anyway, I'll admit I was a bit surprised when he called me to set this up. I still haven't figured out why he doesn't want you for himself."

"Don't worry," Kate joked, "he does. But I shot that down about two years ago. I guess he finally moved on."

"All the better for me," Mark smiled.

Their conversation was easy and the time passed quickly. Mark steered them away from politics, but he was interested in hearing about Kate's job. She knew this was dangerous territory because she was unsure how much contact Mark and his father had. She only hoped that their individual careers kept them busy enough to only pass a quick 'hello' and 'how's the family' when they spoke. She talked about old closed cases that she hoped would be interesting to him and stayed far away from anything involving her mother. Things were going well and she thought for sure there would be another date so she decided to postpone mentioning being shot and therefore desked. Instead, she changed the topic to other safe topics, such as hobbies and what college was like. They discovered their common love for baseball and Mark suggested they should go to a game together sometime soon. He made a mental note to skip the box seats and go for behind the home team dugout. Kate was happy to learn that he came from humble roots, though the senator didn't reveal much. It was a sports scholarship that got him into private high school and financial aid and academic scholarships that got him through college at Dartmouth and law school at Columbia. She couldn't help but to ask about his after-hours playboy reputation. Stress relief, something trivial to clear the mind, was his answer and she understood. Afterall, that was the reason behind many of her past relationships; only her escapades didn't end up on gossip blogs, just disguised in bestselling crime novels.

Their meal had long been cleared and several extra drinks sipped when Kate got worried they would run out of things to talk about. Around them a few busboys were wiping down tables that had emptied and probably wouldn't be reseated that night. Several people still sat at the bar in low conversation. It was nearing 10:30.

"Are you ready to go?" Mark asked, noticing that her eyes were wandering.

"Oh," Kate said, hoping he hadn't assumed she was bored or uninterested. "It's up to you."

"Well, I'd ask you to a movie," he said, "but I don't think there's anything out. And I hear you're not a big fan of clubs."

"I don't mind clubs," she said, recalling fond memories of when she and Castle had found excuses to get dressed up and go undercover. "It's more the aftermath I'm concerned about."

"Playboy Senator parties with someone not famous," he used air quotes around the title. "That would be the nicest headline I've gotten in a while."

Kate knew the actual headline would read 'Senator Richards parties with raunchy detective Nikki Heat' but she wasn't about to let him figure that out. "I could handle 'not famous'," she went with instead, "but they'd probably call me 'plain' or something equally unflattering."

"I doubt that," he complimented her, "but none-the-less, I won't force you. I really enjoyed having a quiet evening."

"So did I," she smiled and flirted.

"Should we call it a night then?" he asked, not sure what else to say. Any other girl he would've invited back to his penthouse for a glass of wine and then taken it from there, but Kate inspired him to be different. He wanted to slow things down; not mess it up.

The senator's driver was waiting in the black towncar parked at the curb. They sat in silence most of the ride home, occasionally exchanging glances and smiles. When he offered to drop her off and didn't suggest going back to his place, Kate knew she had him hooked. She couldn't help but to feel a bit giddy. Had she, Detective Kate Beckett, actually seduced New York's hottest bachelor, and a senator at that? She hoped there would be a goodnight kiss, just so she could brag about it to Lanie. Castle was going to be pissed.


	14. Moving Forward

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"What are you doing, Kate?" Castle asked, using his 'we need to have a talk,' tone.

It was game night and Ryan, Jenny, Esposito and Lanie had just left. Unconsciously, Kate had spent most of the night talking about her most recent date with her bosses son. They had been seeing each other for a month and she still hadn't played her cards to get him to help get her job back. She had told the others she was staying behind to help Castle clean up and they understandingly didn't ask twice. However, in her slightly drunk state she was secretly hoping for a glass of wine, a cuddle and a movie.

"What do you mean?" she said, moving glasses from the table to the counter next to the sink.

"When you said you wanted a date with Mark Richards, I just didn't realize you wanted to actually date Mark Richards." His comment sobered her up quickly.

"You know it's just so I can get my job back," she defended. "He's not my type, anyway."

"How come you haven't told him about being shot? It's been a month."

"I'm just waiting for the right time." It was a weak excuse and they both knew it.

"You like him, don't you?" Castle asked, challenging her with solid eye contact and a stern face.

"Don't be silly Ca-"

"God damnit, Kate," he interrupted. She jumped as he lost his temper. "I really thought after everything we've been through, you could be honest with me."

"That's not fair," she fought back.

"Then look me in the eyes and tell me you don't have feelings for him."

"Come on, Rick," she begged him to stop.

"I'm going to bed," he said, giving up and turning away from her. "You can call a cab or sleep on the couch."

"Rick, wait," she said. While he was turned, she had moved closer to him so that when he turned back to her she was close enough to grab his face and pull him to her for a forceful kiss. He was shocked. Instinctively, he pulled her close to him, but as they kissed, a million thoughts flashed through his mind as he tried to decide what to do. Knowing he would probably regret it, he pushed her away.

"This isn't the way it's supposed to happen," he said, responding to her confused and hurt look.

"I thought this is what you wanted," she said.

"Yeah," he admitted, "but not now. You're drunk. And you're sleeping with another guy."

"Okay fine," she got straight with him. "I like Mark. He's not what I expected and that surprised me. I don't know if I can just use him like I had originally planned. And I'm sorry if that bothers you, but I thought we had talked about us and you were okay with waiting."

"Well, when I agreed to that I didn't know waiting meant watching you fall for some other guy. How many rich playboy's with a sensitive side does one girl need in her life?"

"I'm sorry, Rick," she was candid. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I just wanted my job back."

"So, what now?" he asked.

"I know I've hurt you a lot," she said, an apologetic look in her eyes. "Can you give me one more chance?"

"What's the point?" he asked, feeling defeated.

"I promise you Mark is just some guy," she explained. "At this point, I don't even care if I get my job back, but I'm not losing you."

"Do you really mean that?" he asked, his voice calm again.

"I know I keep screwing up, but I'm going to make everything right. I just need you to keep being you."

"The foolish guy who follows you blindly against all better judgment?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "and my best friend."

"You drive me crazy," he said, returning her smile, "but it is really hard to stay mad at you."

"I know," she said, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest. "I promise I'll make things right."

"I trust you," he said, holding her tight.

The next day when Kate met Mark Richards for lunch, she revealed to him that she had been shot a few months back and was still stuck behind a desk. She lied and said it happened while she was on duty to leave out the complicated details of Captain Montgomery's funeral. She mentioned that her captain was a former marine, very severe, and rather unsympathetic. She could see him thinking as he made the connection that her boss was his father. Falling into her plan perfectly, he worried that Kate would think less of him if she knew that he was Captain Richards son, so instead he acted normally and planned to handle things in private. On Monday when she walked into the precinct the captain called her into his office. He didn't explain or let her ask questions, but assigned her a case, called into detectives Ryan and Esposito, and told them to get to work. He made sure to declare that Castle wasn't welcome.

That wasn't a problem, however, because Castle was at home, newly focused on his next book. His heart-to-heart with Kate made him realize that he had always used his writing to unload his emotions. In the past month, he had been so caught up in trying find Kate's shooter and solve her mom's murder that he hadn't allowed himself any outlets and he was taking his frustration out on the people he cared about. He was working on introducing a character to threaten and challenge Nikki Heat when an idea jumped into his head. He went to the safe he had hidden behind a row of books no one ever wanted to read and opened it. His heart racing, he took out the golden envelope he had received two days after Beckett was shot. He ignored the handwritten note from Captain Montgomery warning Castle not to burden himself by reviewing the information within and trying to make sense of it before he had found someone 'strong, honest and trustworthy, but reasonable enough to act responsibly.' Every day since Castle had an internal battle as to whether or not he should open the envelope. His curiosity was killing him, but he knew 'reasonable enough to act responsibly' meant that Montgomery knew Kate would be emotionally effected by the information and prone to impulsive actions. Therefore, it had to be kept from her, but Castle didn't want to have to hide anything from her so he forced himself to stay in the dark as well. But now, he had finally realized who it was who would be able to help them bring this to an end. He tore open the envelope and slid out 12 pages worth of excerpts from case files dating up to 25 years ago. He read over them quickly, trying to understand the implications of the phrases that had been highlighted. When he was done, he locked the file back in the safe, returned the books to the shelf and rushed to his desk. He dug through the mess of papers strewn across it until he found his iPhone, then he quickly unlocked it, opened the contacts list and searched for Jordan Shaw.

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><p>Author's Note: I hope you guys don't mind that I jumped forward in time a bit. I wanted to keep things exciting and I didn't see much opportunity for that if i focused too much on the KateMark relationship. Afterall, it was really just a vehicle to help push along Castkett and show that she can be devious to get what she wants. He'll be around for a little bit more and then might make an appearance later - haven't decided. My inspiration for this fic was to layout my ridiculous theory for what's going on with "the dragon" and Johanna Beckett's murder, so 14 chapters later I feel like I should probably start getting to the point. ;) Glad you're all along for the ride! Good or bad, please comment!


	15. Advice

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Hey dad," Alexis said, bouncing in to his office. He quickly shut the lid of his computer and clicked off the flat-screen which usually displayed the notes for his upcoming novel. Alexis thought this was suspicious, but she couldn't be bothered now. "I need ninety dollars."

"Only ninety?" He asked with a boyish smile. "You know where my wallet is. I'm surprised you even asked."

"I'll leave the thieving to your ex-wives," she joked. "I actually need a check," she said, hesitating.

"For what?" He asked, now curious.

"Dad," she started.

"Is this another one of those teenage girl things you're not comfortable talking to me about?" He asked, hoping to indicate that he understood.

"No, Dad," she said, "it's the application fee for Stanford."

"Oh," he said, surprised. He leaned back in his chair as he processed the information and contemplated its implications.

"You've already done the application?" He asked, trying to keep an open mind.

"I just finished the last essay."

"Oh, I just thought we were going to talk about this some more," he said.

"I know you're going to miss me and you're upset to be losing me earlier than you originally planned, but I promise I won't forget about you." She spoke quickly, hoping to squeeze everything in before he said anything more. "I'm still going to come home at breaks and during the summer. You know I love New York. And you too."

"I know you won't forget about me," he agreed with a naughty smile. "I'll make sure of it."

"So, it's okay?" She asked, apprehensively.

"Alexis," he started, then sighed. "I've had 17 years to prepare myself that one day you'd be going off to college. I actually consider myself very lucky that you didn't start ignoring me the second you turned 13. I've known since you were little that you were going to want to go do big things, and I support you in that. I just never would've guessed that you'd compromise your own dreams to chase some boy."

"Dad," Alexis looked confused, "I thought you liked Ashley."

"I do," Castle said, "He's a nice boy. I would just hate for you to miss out on other opportunities because you're trying to make things work with him. He's only been gone a month and I've already seen how stressed your relationship is making you."

"But, I'm in love with him."

"I know you are," he said, remembering back to his first love. "And I know you're worried about what your life might be like without him, but I just want to make sure you consider all your possibilities. Take it from someone who's spent a lot of his life trying to make things work with people he thought he was going to be with forever. Only to get hurt."

"But," she asked, trying to figure out how all of this worked into her relationship. "How do you know when you're not wasting your time?"

"Communication. Trust. And a whole lot of good instincts. But you're young, that stuff only comes with practice."

"Okay," she said, a sad look falling across her face. Her father hadn't meant to upset her.

"The only advice I can give is to do the things that are best for you and let the rest fall in to place. If you truly think Stanford is the right school for you, than you should go. But you should be open to the possibility of meeting other people, because you never know who else might be out there. If you know in your heart you'd rather be somewhere else, than that's where you should be. If Ashley is the one, then your paths will cross sooner rather than later." He paused to admire his daughter. She had always been mature for her age and his opportunities to give her advice were limited. Usually the roles were reversed. He prayed he wouldn't mess it up. "I can't make this decision for you," he said to her, "and whatever you decide I will support you in, I promise.

"Thanks Dad," Alexis said, hugging him. "I just need to some time to think about it."

"That's perfectly fine," he said, holding her tight. "You let me know if you want to talk."

"Okay," she pulled away, smiling at him. She made her way out of his office, but then reappeared at the entranceway a few minutes later. "Did you and Kate break up?"

"What?" Castle said, surprised at her question.

"I heard you two yelling the other night and she hasn't been around since," Alexis said apprehensively.

"First of all," he explained. "We're not dating." He hadn't given Alexis much detail into the discussions between Beckett and himself, so it was understandable for her to have the wrong impression. "And yes, we were arguing, but everything is okay, I think."

"So you fall asleep cuddling on the couch after watching some obscure foreign movie, but you're not dating?" she asked, simultaneously judging and teasing him.

"It's complicated," he said. "You know how much she's been through."

"So, what if you can't solve her mom's case?" Alexis asked reasonably. "You'll never get to be with her?""

"Hopefully that won't be a situation we have to deal with."

"Your advice is really good dad," she said, "don't forget to listen to it yourself." She left before he could respond. He knew his daughter was right, and yet, he had a lot more information than her. Once she was safely upstairs again, he reopened his computer and flicked on the flatscreen TV. In front of him was displayed the scans of the case files he had kept away for so long. On his laptop was a page of typed notes with his string of thought ideas for what the files meant and new questions they raised. His phone rang. It was Jordan

"Castle," he said as he answered, trying to calm his racing heart.

"This better be good," the stern FBI agent said on the other end of the line.

"It is, trust me," he said, then paused. "Can I interest you in poker one night soon. Very soon, in fact. Like, this week some time?"

"You called me about poker Castle?"

"Yeah. I just thought we should catch up. We haven't talked in so long." He hoped that she would understand his odd behavior. With the risk of his phone still being tapped, he didn't want to say anything that might relate their meeting to Beckett's case.

"Castle, what's this about?"

"How about you just come over and we'll have a few drinks or something."

"Fine," she said, not pressing the point further. She hadn't spoken to Castle or Beckett in over a year and they were never really friends. She was used to Castle acting strange, but knew she'd be the last person he'd call 'just to catch up.' This could only mean something was going on that he couldn't talk about on the phone. "Should I bring some of my colleagues from work?"

"I'd rather have you all to myself," he said with a faux seductive voice.

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I'll clear my schedule, see you at eight."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry for another short chapter! I've been so busy lately but I've actually already got the next one started and I promise you're going to find out what's in the file. Also, I hoped you enjoyed having Alexis back. I missed writing her character and took the opportunity to show some of Castle's wisdom. Thanks for all the reviews. Happy 4th of July!<strong>


	16. Needle in the Hackstack

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the add then delete, forgot the disclaimer! Hope you guys like this one.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"I'm supposed to be reading bedtime stories right now," Jordan said as she entered through the door Castle held open for her.

"You know, a friendly hello wouldn't hurt," he joked, making sure it was locked behind her.

"I'm trusting I'm not here for a game of poker and couple of beers," she said, taking in his fancy apartment.

"A lot has happened at the 12th since the last time you were there."

"I heard about Montgomery's death and Beckett's shooting through some gossip at work. Are you two sleeping together yet?" Agent Shaw always spoke what was on her mind. Castle liked that about her.

"Not yet," he said with a small roll of his eyes that he knew she would catch. "Anyway," he quickly changed the topic, "sorry for the cryptic phone call. The new captain has had our whole team's phones tapped since day one. Doesn't trust us."

"Neither would I if I were him," she said. "So what's going on?"

"You know about Kate's mom, right?"

"I did some background research on her when we were working that Nikki Heat case."

"Well, for a while we were following a hitman named Lockwood who was the clean-up crew," Castle explained. "He took out the two detectives who had worked Johanna's case so many years back. One of them was shot right as he was about to tell us something about the case. Lockwood was killed in the same shootout that killed Captain Montgomery."

"And then three days later Beckett is shot," Shaw said, indicating she knew the story. "The FBI was less than pleased."

"We did our best to track the shooter, but Captain Richards was determined to stand in the way."

"There was an FBI investigation. They didn't turn up anything."

"Yeah, well," Castle said, "that's not a coincidence."

"What are you getting at?" she asked.

He motioned towards his office and she followed without question. "Five days after Montgomery was shot I got this in the mail." He took the handwritten letter from the desk and handed it to her, allowing her time to read.

"Beckett doesn't know about this?" Jordan asked after a moment.

"No," Castle said. "And I trust it will stay that way. You also won't be discussing this with your colleagues."

"I have to say," she eyed him, "I'm impressed Castle. You mean business."

"This has gone too far," he said. "I don't take kindly to people who try to kill my inspiration."

"If that's what you're going to call her," Jordan said with a knowing smirk. "So what's in the file?"

He flicked on the large LCD screen and they stood side by side reading the highlighted passages from the old case files. After reading a few lines their eyes met, sharing in the gravity of the information in front of them. She took a few steps closer to the screen and continued to read the same words over and over again.

"These are some of the most high profile cases in the history of New York City," Jordan said.

"Long hunted mob leaders and drug lords, finally put away," Castle summarized for her.

"Montgomery had copies of these case files all along?"

"Not the whole files, just these excerpts," Castle said. "And I'm going to guess that if we were to look up the official records, these pages would be conveniently missing."

"These highlighted passages," she said, "who did that?"

"No idea," he said. "I don't know how Montgomery got the files or if he ever even read them." As much as Castle trusted her, he wasn't about to reveal Montgomery's betrayal.

"This is evidence that would have greatly weakened the prosecution's case."

"Is it safe to assume that this isn't coincidence?" he asked.

"Five high profile convictions in a span of six years where evidence that essentially proves them innocent conveniently went missing? Yeah, that's not a coincidence," she said. "But what does this have to do with you and Beckett?"

"When Joanna Beckett was murdered she was investigating the murder of Bob Arman, an undercover FBI agent who was riding with Joe Pulgatti. Pulgatti was arrested by John Raglan and his partner McCalister. He plead guilty to avoid death row but continued to swear he was being set up. Joanna Beckett was the only one willing to give him a chance and look into these claims. She was murdered by Dick Coonan. John Raglan was the investigating detective and blamed it on random mob violence. Three of Joanna's colleagues were also murdered by Dick Coonan and also were classified as random victims. In the past year, both Raglan and McCalister were murdered by Hal Lockwood. And then he tried to kill Kate."

"So," Jordan concluded, "it seems to me that someone is very unhappy that people were poking around in Joe Pulgatti's case."

"Well we know that Raglan and McCalister were the ones who killed Bob Arman, accidentally, while they were trying to kidnap Pulgatti."

"So then they had an incentive for a cover-up and that case ties off nicely," she said, still trying to figure out the tie-ins.

"Except they had nothing to do with Coonan or Lockwood, and were murdered in order to be kept quiet," Castle added. "So there's someone else out there who didn't want people sniffing around."

"A mob boss?" she asked.

"Or whoever it was who was organizing the framing of these other five crime-lords," Castle suggested.

"That's valid," she said. "Once again, I'm impressed Castle. But we have a problem."

"I know," he said, understanding her.

"If we go public with this, these men will go free. Even if they didn't commit the crimes they were convicted for, they're still dangerous criminals."

"They're not the ones I'm worried about," Castle said. "We know that whoever is behind all of this is well connected, very powerful, and scares even the scariest of criminals. Whoever he is, he's the one I want."

"And tell me again why you called me?"

"The more Beckett knows, the more danger she puts herself in. You have way more resources than the NYPD and nobody is tapping your phone. And I know you like to kick ass."

"I appreciate that, Castle." She smiled.

"So you're in?" he asked.

"I guess so. Let's get this bastard. I'll have my team start at the beginning –"

"No," Castle interrupted. "No team."

"Castle, I know you and Beckett like to go vigilante, but that's not how I work. You and I aren't going to bring down a mass murderer just by sitting in your loft knocking our heads together."

"This guy has eyes everywhere. He finds out that we're on to him and we're both dead, and Kate too. I don't know your team and I don't trust your team. When you have time you'll dig up information and then you'll bring it here and I'll sort through it all. No one else will know until it's absolutely necessary. But first we need to know what we're dealing with."

"Fine," she said. She wasn't pleased, but she understood Castle's concerns. Clearly they were about to uncover something big and the more people who knew, the more likely their leads would disappear for good. "You're probably going to need a burn phone."

"Already have four," he said, smiling. "Call me when you have something?"

"You owe me a lot of beers," she smiled back as she gathered her jacket and bag.

"You bet," he said as he saw her to the door.

Castle spent the next few days preparing a crime board for the five new cases he had to study. On the third day he helped Jordan carry five large cardboard boxes from her car up to his office. When she left to go home to her family he was left to read through the copies of FBI files that she was illegally sharing with him. She had downloaded everything she could find on the five crime-lords and Joe Pulgatti. Castle was convinced that if they could figure out who was framing the criminals, it would lead them straight to the man responsible for all the murders. This meant finding a needle in a haystack – the common link between the five men. He would have to solve cases that were twenty years cold and he really wished Beckett was there to help him.

He took out the first paper-filled manila folder from the front of the top box, leaned back in his chair, and started to read. Every now and then he would circle something on a page or scribble something on the brand new large white board, the fifth one in his ever-growing collection.

Across the top of the board were five mug shots accompanied by five names: Frankie Pattino, Ivan Voskovich, Jason Wilkes, Charlie Matthys, and Dayton Crawford. They were a wide range of ages and covered an extensive range of criminal activities. Joe Pulgatti already had a section on one of the other boards.

Castle read for hours until he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. Finally he gave in and ended for the night. He hadn't found anything worthwhile. It wasn't until the next day, and three hundred and fifty-four pages later that something finally jumped out; Pattino, Wilkes, and Voskovich all had a known associate with the last name Murray – Thomas Murray, Patrick Murray, and Collin Murray. Castle wrote 'Who are the Murray's?" on a post-it note, stuck it on the edge of the board, and kept reading.

An hour or so later he discovered another intriguing detail; the district attorney at the time, Jonathan Reeves, was the main prosecutor in all five cases. He had heard the name before but he couldn't put his finger on it.

That night Jordan showed up with a six-pack and promptly relocated one of Castle's dining room chairs into his office.

"Got anything good?" she asked, taking her seat and handing him a cold one.

"I haven't gotten through everything yet, but there's some stuff here," he explained, motioning to the array of whiteboards surrounding them.

"How come you have my bosses name up there?" she asked.

"Your boss? Where?" Castle was confused.

"Well, kind of my boss. Jonathan Reeves. He's the director of the FBI."

"You're serious?" Castle asked in disbelief.

"Have you ever known me to not be serious?"

"He was the main prosecutor on all five of these cases!" Castle said, excited by their lead.

"I know," Jordan said. "He has one of the most successful trial records that New York City has ever seen. Why do you think they appointed him State Attorney General and then moved him federal? This guy lives and breathes domestic crime"

"And you don't find it at all suspicious that we've now discovered that five of his landmark cases were wrongful convictions?"

"I know you're eager to pin someone for this," she reasoned with him, "but you have to slow down and look at the big picture."

"What do you mean?"

"He was just the prosecutor," she started. "Think about all the cases you've solved with Kate. Did the DA ever help solve the case with you?"

"No," he groaned, saddened by the fact that his theory was being dismounted so easily.

"What does the DA get once the case has been solved?"

"A folder from the captain with all the evidence neatly laid out for them."

"Exactly," she said. "Reeves would've just been working with what he was given. And since we have these excerpts from the files, it's pretty safe to assume that he didn't. Anyone along the way could have concealed vital information."

"So we have to figure out which NYPD teams investigated these cases?"

"Sounds like you're taking a fieldtrip to the courthouse," she said to him, faking enthusiasm.

"And can you look in to these Murray guys?" he asked, showing her the pages where he had circled their names.

"Will do," she said, typing the names into her phone. "Now, catch me up to speed on the Joanna Beckett case and tracking Kate's shooter." She leaned back in her chair and for the next three hours Jordan and Castle reviewed all the clues Kate Beckett had spent her life trying to make sense of.


	17. Don't Keep Secrets

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"What's going on in here?" Martha asked as she entered her son's office. She was wearing a cucumber face mask and a bright white bath robe.

"Just rearranging," Castle responded as he closed and stacked some of the manila folders that had been spread across his desk. He was careful to keep them in order. He hadn't realized the commotion he was causing as he hurried to clean up.

"Oh, did you solve the case?" She asked. Martha Rogers knew about her son's recent meetings with the attractive FBI agent, but at Rick's begging, had kept her nose out of it.

"Not even close," he said, putting a lid on a box before lifting it and carrying it to his bedroom. She followed him.

"Then why are you hiding it all away?" She asked, confused.

"We're having company."

"Richard," she started on him as soon as she understood. "After two ex-wives haven't you learned that there's no point trying to keep secrets from powerful women."

"It's for her own good," he reasoned, bothered that his mother was judging him when she didn't know all the details.

"Men always say that."

"I don't think you understand how much easier my life would be if I could tell her," he said, returning to his office for another box. "I would love nothing more than to have a team of cops helping me sort through these files, making sure I haven't missed anything. I'm just a writer. I don't know anything about solving crimes. And yet, here I am, trying to figure out who had Joanna Beckett killed before he kills the rest of us. No pressure."

"Just be careful," Martha ceded. She could tell he was stressed and didn't want to make it any worse.

"Thanks," he acknowledged as she left.

Just as he had moved the last white board to his bedroom there was a knock at the door. Kate Beckett entered without waiting for him to greet her.

"Good to see you," he said, hugging her.

"You too," she responded. "Sorry I haven't called."

"It's okay," he said. Honestly, he had been so caught up in his own research that he hadn't realized it had been more than a week since he last talked to Kate. "I can see you got your job back." He eyed the gun holstered on her hip.

"Yeah," she exclaimed, "about a week ago."

"So your plan worked?" He asked. "Mark came through?"

"I guess," she said. "Captain Richards has even been a bit less terrible."

"Well that's good," he smiled. "How is Mark?" He was anxious to ask about Kate's faux-boyfriend but couldn't control his own curiosity.

"Fine I guess. I told him now that I'm no longer desked I'm going to be working longer hours and won't be free nearly as often. I figure that way I can just let things slowly die out."

"Sounds like a plan," Castle agreed, trying not to sound too eager.

"So, do you want to order in or go out?" She asked as her stomach groaned.

"Well that depends. Do you have exciting case details we should stay in and discuss?"

"Not really, actually."

"No?" he asked, confused.

"Castle," she tried to soften him, "seeing as I just got my job back, I really don't want to play with fire. If Richards doesn't want me talking to you about cases, I really shouldn't."

"Oh," he said, hurt. "Okay. So I guess we'll just go out then?" He didn't want to press the point and make her wish she hadn't come.

"I could really use a burger and a beer," she said, hoping her small smile would be enough of an apology. "Why don't you catch me up on what you've been doing?"

'Yeah right,' Castle thought to himself. Instead he caught her up on the latest adventures of Nikki Heat including the sassy new rival who she would have to fight for Jameson Rook's attention. Kate laughed at the idea of this. She would never admit it, but she loved how Castle lived out his fantasies in his novels. She swore to herself that she would never fight for Castle's attention and hoped that if she ever did, Lanie would be a good enough friend to set her straight. When Castle started to elaborate what exactly Nikki would do to get Rook's attention, Kate begged him to stop before she blushed too much. She liked that her character was a little bit of a slut and hoped Castle would never learn that she had the more steamy scenes from the books dog-eared for easy finding. However, as much as she enjoyed a good flirt, she was embarrassed to hear the erotic words straight from Castle's mouth. After she threatened to walk out, he stopped telling her, but still let the scene play out in his mind. She grabbed his attention back with gossip about Lanie and Esposito. Apparently they had had their first lover's quarrel and everyone at the twelfth had witnessed it.

Kate was pleased to find herself able to enjoy Castle's company when they didn't have a case to bond over. Of course not all their time together was work, but most often it was preceded or ceded by talk of their case. The way things had been lately was reassuring that when the time finally came, she and Rick would have a good chance as a couple and that they hadn't been flirting and fighting for no reason.

Due to the long hour required by an active case, Beckett hailed herself a cab after their meal rather than return to the loft with Castle. Once he was alone he went about resetting his office. She hadn't even gone in that room, but the small effort he had taken to hide his work was worth it.

Several more days passed before Castle spoke to Kate again. That morning he was procrastinating by browsing the gossip from page six on his iPhone when he came across a particularly handsome photo of himself. The headline next to it read 'Castle's new muse?' in a large bold font. Curious, but not yet concerned, he clicked the link. As he flicked his fingers across the touch screen to scroll the article, he was shocked to come upon a picture of a tall blonde woman in a suit entering an apartment building from the street. That was his building and the woman was Agent Jordan Shaw. He cursed loudly while frantically scrolling upwards so that he could read the article from the start: 'New York's favorite sexy and single mystery writer has found himself some more inspiration. It seems like Rick Castle has upgraded…' he cursed again, 'from NYPD to FBI with the likes of this leggy new gal-pal who's been seen visiting his swanky loft several times over the past week. Somehow we doubt this is all work and no play. So Ricky, who's your new lady and how long do we have to wait before we see her likeness on the bookshelves?'

"No no no no no!" he shouted at the phone.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Martha said as she rushed down the stairs, her eye mask lifted to her forehead and her hair disheveled from sleep.

"Look at this!" He said, disgruntled, as she shoved the phone towards her.

"Oh honey, did one of those unhappy finches die?"

"What?" He asked, totally confused.

"You know, that game you play on your phone."

"Angry Birds?"

"That's the one," she gestured as if she had just remembered. "I sure hope you didn't get me out of bed for that."

"No mother. Look at this article on page six."

"Oh, these are always fun," she said, moving closer to look at the phone with him. He allowed her a moment to read the article before reacting.

"I think I have to move out of the city!" He said in the most melodramatic voice he could conjure.

"Richard," she scolded him. "Stop being such a baby and start acting like a man."

"Kate's going to kill me!" he whined. "Jordan is going to kill me!"

"I'd be more worried about Kate," his mother joked.

"This isn't funny," he said.

"I told you it's bad to keep secrets from women."

"This is so not fair," he complained, "all this trouble and I don't even get to sleep with either one!"

"I know," Martha laughed some more. "What's become of you?"

"Thanks for nothing," he moaned.

"Glad to be of service. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back to bed. And then I'm getting the hell out of this apartment before either one of those two shows up."

"It was nice knowing you. Take care of Alexis when I'm gone."

"You know I will, darling." She smiled as she ascended the stairs and left him in agony at the kitchen counter.


End file.
